With Google Talk flipping the switch and opening up to any network which supports XMPP (with dialback ;) ), I’m starting to use it more.  I don’t have many contacts using IM clients other than MSN messenger but open federation is a requirement for IM.  I can send emails to any other domain without a problem but why should I be held back by not being able to send IMs to people on other “domains”.  It doesn’t make sense and IM clients that don’t support XMPP then we shouldn’t be using them.  With the shift of user focus away from email because of spam, phishing and all those problems to IM, this is a huge hinderance for people moving across. 

Currently I have 3 IM clients open (MSN Messenger, Skype and GTalk), and I have people on all 3 networks.  I should be able to talk to all of them with one client.  Not 3.  I would guess AOL will open their messenger after their deal with Google.  Yahoo and Microsoft are talking to enabling their clients to talk together which hopefully doesn’t mean a Yahoo/Microsoft IM gorilla holding back user choice.  Use the standards available, open your clients up allow for federation and let the world choose their client.  Its not about the IM service provided but the value added services your client can provide.  Is MSN Messenger scared that their client isn’t good enough?  Will we see XMPP support in the final MSN 8 release?  Lets hope.