The Rise of Instant Messaging: How Microsoft's MSN Messenger Service Became a Major Player

In the late 1990s, instant messaging was a rapidly growing field, with several major players vying for dominance. One of these competitors was Microsoft's MSN Messenger Service, which was launched on July 22, 1999. But what made MSN Messenger Service so successful?

To understand this, let's take a step back and look at the landscape at the time. AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) had been around since 1997, while ICQ had been a major player for nearly three years by then. Yahoo! Messenger was also gaining popularity, but Microsoft's entry into the market was significant because of its integration with Hotmail.

As an engineer who worked on AIM at the time, Eric Bosco recalls that any messenger service connecting to AIM's network required providing a version type. This was a key factor in Microsoft's decision-making process. By integrating MSN Messenger Service with Hotmail, Microsoft was able to leverage the popularity of its web email service and offer instant communication to millions of users.

MSN Messenger Service launched with a basic feature set, including plain text messaging and a contact list. However, this didn't hold it back from gaining traction. In fact, despite launching late compared to its competitors, MSN Messenger Service was able to reach the top through its innovative integration with Hotmail.

The late 1990s were a time of rapid growth in internet adoption, with more people getting online and seeking new ways to communicate. Instant messaging filled this gap, offering real-time communication that email couldn't match. As a result, four major competitors emerged: AOL Instant Messenger, ICQ, Yahoo! Messenger, and Microsoft's MSN Messenger Service.

While texting was still in its infancy, mobile phones were not yet ubiquitous, and social media platforms like MySpace and Facebook didn't exist. In this environment, MSN Messenger Service thrived, providing a convenient way for people to communicate with friends and family online. Its integration with Hotmail proved to be a key decision that helped the service become a major player in the instant messaging market.

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