Since the acquisition of video calling software Skype, Microsoft has been adopting measures for its promotion.
That involved spurning Windows Live Messenger services a couple of years ago, which forced Hotmail and MSN users to switch to Skype. Now the company is set for the next big leap.
Microsoft shuns support
Microsoft has announced that their Outlook.com mail services will eschew the support for Facebook chat and Google chat in a couple of weeks.
However, the latter may barely be related with its Skype promotion measures, as the company has cited the unavailability of Google Talk platform as the reason for its dropping.
Microsoft has said that the support for Google chat services will be discontinued following ‘Google’s decision to discontinue the chat protocol used by Google Talk platform’.
Google has recently bid goodbye to the Gtalk services, shifting its entire focus to the counter-platform of Google Hangouts.
The same has stopped the open-sourced services for the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP), the use of which has enabled the Gtalk services on Outlook.com.
Google Chat service was included in Outlook.com following heavy demand from its users, back in 2013.
The matter was revealed in the e-mail sent out to Outlook users, informing them about the drop of support for the chat services.
However, Microsoft hasn’t specified the reason for the abjuring of the Facebook chat services. The e-mail has also stressed on the usage of Skype for ‘taking advantage of the robust ways to keep in touch with friends and family’.
Although with the services being dropped from Outlook.com, Microsoft has said that Facebook and Google chat will still be available with the People feature in Outlook.
Related Stories:
Microsoft’s new initiatives to support publishers and journalism
Google Cloud slams Microsoft for anti-competitive cloud practices in Europe
Google to introduce AI chatbot service ‘Bard’ to rival Microsoft’s ChatGPT
Tech Layoffs Surge: Google, Microsoft Among Companies Shedding Over 1,000 Jobs in January 2024
Microsoft Stock Soars to All-Time High Amid Strong Rally
Google I/O 2023: Google Bard arrives in India: Features, benefits and challenges
Anjali Arora MMS Leak: Fans Shower Love with Marriage Proposals
