After the end of its court case in the US, and hot on the heels of the recently announced Enterprise AIM Services, Microsoft readies itself for a push into the same arena.
Microsoft on Wednesday is expected to unveil a new instant messaging service aimed at corporate customers, jump-starting belated efforts by the software giant to tap a fast-growing, new market for the hugely popular technology.
According to sources familiar with the product the product, MSN Messenger Connect for Enterprises will add security, archiving and other message-management features sought by companies that are beginning to warm to the idea of allowing employees to conduct business over instant messaging (IM) networks.
Wednesday"s release could act as a placeholder for the company while it puts the finishing touches on a more ambitious plan to develop corporate IM server technology. That product, code-named Greenwich, is still six months or more away from release.
"Maybe it"s just a stopgap measure for the next eight months until Greenwich actually comes out," Directions on Microsoft analyst Matt Rosoff said.
Hmmm, "stopgap", "rushed" or "half-baked", time with tell.