Summary:Microsoft is
discontinuing Facebook and Google Chat integration in Outlook.com, and is
advising users to use Skype instead.
Within "the next couple of
weeks," Microsoft will discontinue support for Facebook Chat and Google
Chat in Outlook.com.
Microsoft notified Outlook.com
customers of the pending change via an e-mail message from the Outlook.com team sent on
February 24(Thanks @lindhartsen)
Microsoft attributed the decision to
drop Google Chat integration to Google's decision to discontinue the chat
protocol used by the Google Talk platform.
A link to the Google decision points
to a page noting that Google Hangouts replaces Google Talk and does not
support XMPP. XMPP is the open-sourced Extensible
Messaging and Presence Protocol, an IETF standard for instant messaging. (XMPP
originally was called Jabber.)
There was no reason given for
discontinuing Facebook chat integration.
"We understand that this may
disappoint some of our customers, but we hope that you'll try Skype for
Outlook.com chat, and voice, video calling, so you can take advantage of the
more robust ways to keep in touch with friends and family," the e-mail
message from the Outlook.com team said.
I've asked Microsoft if the company
has any more to say about the reason for the discontinuation of Facebook Chat
or Google Chat support -- beyond the desire to push the company's own Skype
instant-messaging service.
A spokesperson sent the following
statement:
"Most Outlook.com customers already prefer to use Skype when they
are chatting and we see this as a great option for anyone impacted by Google's
decision to shut down Google Talk and associated APIs, or the recent
deprecation of Facebook Chat for Outlook.com
source:-www.zdnet.com
