Integrate the Instant Messenging Networks

This petition is addressed to the AOL Time Warner, Yahoo, Microsoft.

We, the undersigned, hereby request that AOL Time Warner, Yahoo, and Microsoft make standards of instant messaging. These standards would allow their respective proprietary software be interoperable with all new instant messaging software that adheres to these standards.

This system must be flexible, relatively easy to incorporate into new software, and it must be open sourced. This software should allow different chat servers to communicate with each other, thereby not putting the strain of bandwidth on any of the three major instant messaging networks, nor on any of the other rival services.

We feel that being the three largest instant messaging companies, AOL Time Warner, Yahoo, and Microsoft should take the initiative to act as industry leaders. Their responsibility as industry leaders is to create these standards and protocols for instant messaging, and we the undersigned want to see it done.