Google To Launch IM This Wednesday?

Buried in this NYT story by John Markoff, which touched on Google Sidebar launch (covered in the post below): it plans to unveil on Wednesday a “communications tool” that is potentially a clear step beyond the company’s search-related business focus.

While executives would not disclose what the new software tool might be, Google has long been expected to introduce an IM service to compete with services offered by AOL, Yahoo and MSN. Last year some rumors arose that Google’s IM platform and client would be based on the open source Jabber protocol.

And then, Markoff raises his pet speculation: a Google phone, based on the acquisition of Android and a Google-branded smart phone has long been a pet project of founder Larry Page, and earlier this year Google invested $2 million in a project by Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the M.I.T. Media Laboratory, to develop a $100 wireless laptop.

Related:

Get Ready for GoogleNet

Industry Jabbers About Google’s IM Product

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