MySpace Officially Launches IM Client

MySpace said Tuesday that it has officially launched the beta of its instant messaging client to the public, about a year after it had first released it in a limited beta test. Since then, 17 million users worldwide have installed the client. While it enters into a very crowded market, MySpace hopes that its IM service will be able to take advantage of the tight integration with the popular social network site to grow quickly.

Functionality included within the client includes video chat and image sharing. It would also alert users when they receive new mail, comments, or friend requests through their MySpace profiles. The software only works on Windows, and no decision has been made to port the IM service to Mac or Linux, MySpace says.