Instant Messaging is a feature of Microsoft Windows Messenger, Microsoft MSN Messenger, and the Microsoft Exchange Instant Messaging Service. With Instant Messaging, you can communicate with your contacts in real time as you would during an in-person conversation.

You can instantly tell if a person is online, and you have control over how your online status appears to others. For example, if you are busy and unable to talk, you can change your status to Busy.

When you open a message in Microsoft Outlook or when it is displayed in the Reading Pane, the Person Names Smart Tag is shown beside the sender's name. In addition, each name on the To and Cc lines displays the Person Names Smart Tag when you rest the pointer on the name.

In an Outlook contact, the Person Names Smart Tag is displayed when you rest the pointer on the person's e-mail address. In a new meeting request, the Person Names Smart Tag is displayed when you rest the pointer on the attendee's name.

Online status is available for any person whose instant messaging e-mail address you have added to your instant messaging contact list. In addition, online status is shown for people using the Exchange Instant Messaging Service, regardless of whether they are on your instant messaging contact list.

In Outlook, you can add the instant messaging address of each Outlook contact to the IM address box on the General tab for that contact. When you receive e-mail from this contact, the instant messaging address is used to determine their online status, if the e-mail address matches one saved in the contact.