Instant Messaging Standards ?

Looks like we have standards in the IM area, too.

Google is contributing to multimedia extensions to the open Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) that will enable XMPP-based instant messaging applications to conduct sessions involving voice and video.

Let's see how will this bend Microsoft and Yahoo with their IM.

I bet they will start approaching the XMPP standards and rules enforced by Google in two years from now. See how Microsoft is getting into Google Style with MS Live project and see all this last year improvements that yahoo brought to their search and email features.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/05/12/16/HNgoogleimstandard_1.html