Neowin.net

If AOL Time Warner and rival Microsoft agree to collaborate, instant messaging services could see a boom -- especially within businesses, analysts say. As part of last week's broad anti-trust litigation settlement, the two rivals agreed to discuss making their messaging systems work together. The talks would come after a long, bitter fight to make AOL open its system to instant messengers using competing services, such as Microsoft's MSN.

AOL is home to the majority of those who use instant messaging, which enables real-time chats online, and is the leading player in the arena. Urging AOL to open up Its rivals, including Microsoft's MSN and Yahoo, have been clamoring for AOL to open up its system so their users can communicate with those using AOL services ICQ and AIM. But AOL's efforts to let rivals' users communicate with those using its services has stalled and the company has cited security issues and market conditions among other issues.

News source: CNN

During first stage of V5 beta, we will be concentrating on two major issues:
WU Web Site beta testing - including gross and detailed site functionality, site UI, and site text

1. WU content Beta testing - all content delivered through the WU site (with the exception of Security Updates, there is another channel for those) will have a specific beta release/test period. This includes driver update content.
   
2. After the initial beta period, the WU V5beta program will continue to be involved in Beta update testing of software and driver content prior to their RTW ('going live') on the v5 site.
   
3. Platform - current plans for V5 Beta are that all beta testers will require a platform of windows 2000 SP2 and later, for a testing platform.
   
4. No one in either WU Beta or Office Beta groups have been enrolled in the V5 beta program, yet.

Neowin Note: This is probably the reason for the previous questionnaire on betaplace asking "Which Operating systems do you want to see on Windows Update" so if you haven't completed the questionnaire yet now might be a good time to do so.