Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Google launches integrated chat and email

Google has launched Gmail Chat, which will let users send instant messages with one click from their e-mail account, see when contacts are online and save the chat history like an e-mail message.

The application's Quick Contacts list is synchronized with the user's Google Talk friends list and automatically displays the people a user communicates with most frequently and shows their online status. Clicking on a contact listed as being online opens a chat window in the browser.

Gmail Chat also allows users to save their chat records, for easy searching later. And you can set chats to "off the record" if you do not want them recorded.

Gmail is now the US' 4th most popular web based email program and Google Chat the 7th most popular Instant Messaging application. And integrated chat and email is the way forwards. MSN and AOL already have similar offerings.

GMail continues to make strides, but then they need to for they are a long way behind leaders such as Yahoo, AOL and MSN.

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