USA Today has an unintentionally funny article (page 3B) about Microsoft's "maniacally focused" effort to provide converged instant messaging, email, and voice communications on the Windows platform. The writer apparently fell hook, line, and sinker for Microsoft's PR flack about breakthroughs.
Millions of people have been using converged IM, email, voice, AND video communications for more than a year--it's called iChatAV, and Apple provides it for free on every Mac.
The only thing that might have been maniacal about Microsoft's effort is their determination to catch up with Apple, which has been consistently leaving Microsoft in the dust.
One interesting tidbit in a sidebar to the article--by 2007, it's predicted that 45% of U.S. businesses will be using Voice over IP. Still think this is nothing important?