Messaging pact to can the spam

SPAM-FREE instant messaging for business is a step closer after Microsoft, America Online and Yahoo agreed to make their systems compatible.

'In much the same way that email significantly changed today's business landscape, instant messaging is becoming just as ubiquitous in organisations,' said Anoop Gupta, a Microsoft vice president.

Instant messaging across the different platforms will become available using Microsoft's Live Communications Server 2005, which is due out at the end of the year. Pricing and licensing options are still being finalised.

Analyst Rob Enderle said businesses wanted to 'contain, secure, and manage the critical tool of instant messaging' but that was impractical until there was a way to connect the three most popular platforms.