Students may love instant-messaging software, but campus-network supervisors can be forgiven for not being huge fans: IM programs are, after all, vulnerable to forward-thinking viruses. And some enterprising students have used the software to swap files without logging onto peer-to-peer networks.
So IT officials might not be thrilled to hear that both Microsoft and Yahoo are bolstering their instant-messaging tools in ways that could make them devour even more bandwidth. Microsoft’s additions to its Windows Live Messenger program are particularly noteworthy: The new software, which was released this week, lets users place calls from their computer to almost any phone. The program also lets users conduct videoconferences and makes it easier for two people to share files located on their own machines. (InformationWeek) —Brock Read
