Yahoo and WebEx announce integration

WebEx customers that use Yahoo’s enterprise instant messenger application can now launch a Web conference from their IM interface:

Clicking a WebEx button in Yahoo Business Messenger takes a user directly to the WebEx Meeting Center without the need to log in. Participants can also be invited to a Web conference via Yahoo IM. A link will take them directly to the conference, again without the need to log in, Yahoo and WebEx said.

Conferencing services integrating with IM is a logical progression. Many premise-based systems and some hosted services already integrate with Outlook and Notes – the applications many use to schedule meetings and invite others, so IM makes sense since it’s a low-level form of conferencing. Being able to one click from an IM interface into a audio, Web or videoconference is an excellent feature that should help make it easier for users to communicate.