Tech Shout!

Starting from today itself, Yahoo! Mail users will be able to chat in real-time using a new instant messaging (IM) feature which has seamlessly been integrated into the Yahoo! Mail beta. In fact, this new feature which has been built on the Yahoo! Messenger platform began rolling out today to all Yahoo! Mail beta users all over the globe.

According to John Kremer, vice president, Yahoo! Mail, “Yahoo! is focused on making it easier for people to connect to those who matter most to them. By bringing Yahoo!’s leading instant messaging capabilities to e-mail users, we are transforming Yahoo! Mail into a tool that’s about communicating; regardless of the form that communication takes.”

Users can choose to let others know if they are online and available to exchange messages in real time, and users will be able to see the online status of everyone in their contact list as well.

Each instant messaging dialogue will take place in a new conversation tab within Yahoo! Mail beta. So, you can now chat with your family and friends without having to close your Yahoo! Mail page. This will allow people to chat with multiple friends at the same time, without having to leave the e-mail experience. Moreover, users are also able to convert e-mails seamlessly into IMs when friends come online or vice versa.

Basically, the Yahoo! Mail beta is a true Web 2.0 experience that includes a sleek, user-friendly interface with the speed and responsiveness of a desktop application. Besides, using the instant messaging feature, the Yahoo! Mail beta also features enhanced functionality such as drag and drop e-mail organization, message preview, an integrated calendar and an RSS reader.

The new version of Yahoo! Mail is a free, browser-based service that is accessible from just about any computer that is connected to the Internet.