“Microsoft is gunning after America Online’s dominance in
Internet messaging by proposing that all chat software communicate
with each other–a move that could touch off a standards war
between the rivals.”
“In hopes of chipping away at AOL’s lead in the market,
Microsoft released its own instant messaging software yesterday and
restated its support for an industrywide standard to make all chat
applications compatible.
“Microsoft miffed AOL yesterday, because a feature in MSN
Messenger software lets users communicate with those using AOL’s
Instant Messenger.
“This morning, AOL shot back, allegedly tweaking its systems to
rebuff attempts to connect by Microsoft’s messaging service.”