Seattle, June 18: Microsoft Corp. said it would release a preliminary version of its latest instant messaging program on Wednesday that allows users to share photos and customize the appearance of the program.
MSN Messenger 6, which is being released under "public preview" and will get a full release next month, is the world's largest software maker's latest volley in the competitive market for messaging services, which let users swap instant text messages with one another.
Microsoft's new messenger, which claims 100 million active users, lets users customize their background and their own icons as well providing a way for users to swap pictures and other content more easily.
Some of those features are already available on competing services offered by Yahoo Inc. and America Online Inc., a unit of AOL Time Warner Inc. Bureau Report