Microsoft® Office System Step by Step -- 2003 Edition

Creating and Sending Instant Messages

You can communicate with your contacts in real time with instant messages. Instant messaging is a private online chat method. After you establish a connection with someone who is online and using instant messaging, messages you send to that person appear on his or her screen instantly. Likewise, you see responses from that person instantly on your screen. Instant messaging is especially useful for brief exchanges and can be much more immediate than e-mail. By default, Outlook supports instant messaging using Microsoft MSN Messenger Service or Microsoft Exchange Instant Messaging Service. When Outlook starts, you are automatically logged on to the service you installed.

Before you can use instant messaging, ...