Yahoo Plans to Integrate Chat inside Yahoo Mail

Following Google’s footsteps, Yahoo is moving towards integrating a chat module inside the next Yahoo Mail Beta (obviously using AJAX technology). Since Google has already done it, Yahoo must be looking forward to develop something innovative, aimed at improving user experience and should be nothing less than that.

Although no specific details regarding the features have been released, initial rumors suggests that users can reply to email via instant messages, but this works only if he or she uses Yahoo and eventually it would be extended to Windows Live Messenger also. Yahoo is also planning to allows users archive their chat sessions, just like Google does, but yet again it will raise controversies regarding privacy and stuff like that.

Anyway, its good to see some competition among these giants. In terms of market share, Yahoo still leads the race, but its userbase is sharply declining, most of them are now turning towards Google and other competing products. I think Yahoo considerably lost market share after Google integrated GTalk inside Gmail and now hopes to regain its back.

Source: BetaNews