[plug] MSN Messenger Overtakes ICQ - Survey

[Jacqueline McNally]

According to a survey by Jupiter Media Metrix, more
Australians now use MSN Messenger than the once-dominant
ICQ.

MSN Messenger is now used by over 3.1 million Australians,
according to a March survey by researchers at Jupiter Media
Metrix. ICQ, however, has not maintained its initial leadership
and growth rate and now boasts 1.78 million users.

Yahoo Messenger tallied 773,000 users and AOL Instant
Messenger recorded 382,000 users to take third place. Of
course, many Internet users have multiple IM applications on
their computers.

The study, compiled from regular surveys of 2,000 households
and businesses, also found 64% of Australian teenagers who
use the Net also use MSN Messenger.

The key to MSN Messenger's success in Australia is in its
integration with Australia's most popular portal site NineMSN
and Webmail service Hotmail, Jupiter Media Metrix senior
analyst Foad Fadaghi told The Update.

"MSN is now bundled with Windows XP and will grow even
more popular as the 'default' IM option," he added.

From: The Update (Contact acreed at netspace.net.au for subscriptions)

I am aware of the NineMSN site as one of the training groups in town, have 
the home page of their training machines set to NineMSN. The first 10 
minutes of the "How to Use the Internet" training session that I was 
conducting turned into "How to Change Your Home Page" :)

I visited the site only yesterday, following a link as you do :) A TV show 
has a competition where the prize is a booth at CeBIT Australia, Darling 
Harbour later next month. I thought this would be useful for one of the 
OpenOffice.org community, a consultant (Linux) based in NSW.

So MSN is on your computer when you get it (we don't seem to buy whole 
ones), but how much of a pull is the NineMSN site ?

Is IM content driven or is it a place that you go because of the people you 
meet ? What do PLUGgers use on their Linux boxes ?

As you might guess, I don't use IM and if I receive email messages to say 
so and so wants to chat, I usually trash them. If I know the person, I 
remind them that I don't have the necessary software loaded on my machine.

Why I am asking, is that some recipients of Computer Angels computers have 
asked about it, as they have seen *it* on TV, and when they visit sites 
such as NineMSN.

I look forward to your thoughts and suggestions.

All the best
Jacqueline
http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/users/zenryaku/

Community Contact, Australia/New Zealand
OpenOffice.org Marketing Project
(www.openoffice.org)

Are you a computer angel? (www.ca.asn.au)