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Yahoo! Australia & NZ Launches Latest Australian Version (5.0) of Yahoo! Messenger with "IMVironments™" plus WebCam! Now Australians can type, talk, see and be seen, send fun emoticons, enjoy exclusive and interactive themed IMVironments™, and access Australian news, stocks and SOLD.com.au auctions from Yahoo!'s local instant messenger service   SYDNEY, March, 06 2002 - Yahoo! Australia & NZ today announced the next generation of its popular Yahoo! Messenger service now enhanced with IMVironments™, a patent-pending technology that makes real-time communications even more personalised, expressive and fun. The latest version includes an easy to use WebCam feature, plus easy access to Australian news, weather, stock information, SOLD.com.au auctions and more. Yahoo! Messenger IMVironments - "instant messaging environments" - are interactive, themed backgrounds for Yahoo! Messenger conversations that appear directly in the instant messaging (IM) window and are shared virally among friends. IM is no longer restricted to just text, voice and video communication. With the latest version of Yahoo! Messenger, the instant messaging screen is being used in revolutionary new ways. By sending an IMVironment, friends can now select and share unique images and animated graphics, play games and experience video and music clips that appear directly on the IM screen without having to launch a new window or link to another site. IMVironments with music themes, such as the one created for the latest release from the band Garbage, let fans connect with their favourite bands by sharing and listening to the latest single, viewing a photomontage of an artist, watching the newest video and even purchasing CDs. IMVironments also let you play interactive games, such as Yahoo! Fighter, with friends in real time while simultaneously having a text conversation. "With the introduction of IMVironments, Yahoo! is the first to offer a truly interactive instant messaging experience that offers our users a level of interaction and entertainment not available through other instant messaging services", said Rachel Watt, producer, Yahoo! Australia & NZ. "IMVironments also provide an innovative new way to use Yahoo! Messenger as a complete viral marketing solution and a way for companies to reach their target audience." The Background on IMVironments From blowing a cyber kiss to having a virtual snowball fight, users can pick from several fun, unique and interactive IMVironments including: Last Shot - People can now see their conversations unfold panel by panel as each instant message conversation creates a new scene from this popular comic series. PEANUTS - While an animated Woodstock flutters across the Yahoo! Messenger window, people can now see Snoopy type along with their friends as messages are being composed. Sanrio - Sanrio enthusiasts can invite Hello Kitty® to brighten their Yahoo! Messenger window, and replace the classic Yahoo! Messenger emoticons with exclusive Hello Kitty, Thomas the Bear, Joey the Mouse, and Fifi the Sheep characters. Yahoo! Fighter - Friends suddenly become "players" when battling one another in this Yahoo! Fighter IMVironment, bringing interactive gaming to the Yahoo! Messenger window. Other fun IMVironments include romantic falling hearts, a Zen-like fish tank and a winter wonderland. Yahoo! Messenger will continue to introduce new IMVironments for its users to enjoy and share with their friends. Webcam With Yahoo! Messenger's new webcam feature, users can view their friends live as they simultaneously have a text or voice conversation with them. The webcam owner can select security levels also, so that no one can see them unless they are specifically invited/approved. See and Be Seen! Yahoo! Messenger users with Webcams can now: Choose to allow everyone or just one or a select group of people to view their Webcam images, or set a preference so that other users must ask permission each time before viewing Know who on their Friends List has a Webcam and when it is available Preview their own image on their Webcam Invite others to view their Webcam images Request to view another person's Webcam images Pause their Webcam while it is broadcasting to control what viewers see Automatically update status message to let friends know when their Webcam is running Other New Features The Yahoo! Magic Crystal Ball - Yahoo! Messenger has created the first-ever graphical instant messaging "bot" for users to seek answers to any questions they dare to ask. People can simply add "magiccrystalball" to their Friends List to begin the adventure. New Emoticons - Yahoo! Messenger now has many new emoticons to tell friends when they want their friends to be quiet, when they are fed up, when they're feeling ill, or when they are just clowning around. Typing Notification - Now people can see when their friends are typing a message to them. The typing notification appears in the status bar at the bottom of the instant message window. Local Content Tabs - Now people can access Yahoo! Australia & NZ sites such as news, weather and stock information, as well as up to date local content such as travel and sports news, and SOLD.com.au auctions Yahoo! Insider - With all the new features available on Yahoo! Messenger and the Yahoo! network, people now have an easy way to get the latest scoop on their favourite Yahoo! services. "By focusing on what our users want and need in instant messaging we are continuing to introduce even more innovative features that really add value to people's usage and experience of Yahoo! Messenger," added Watt. About Yahoo! Messenger Yahoo! Messenger is one of the most popular instant messaging, information, communications, and notification services on the Internet. Yahoo! Messenger lets people send free instant text and voice messages anywhere in the world. Yahoo! Messenger was the first IM provider to offer Webcam functionality. It is fully integrated with Yahoo!'s suite of communications services to provide up-to-the-minute new alerts, notification of important meetings on Yahoo! Calendar, access to Yahoo! Chat rooms, Yahoo! Games, SOLD.com.au auctions and much more. Yahoo! Messenger is accessible from your personal computer and through wireless devices such as Palm Pilots, WinCE devices, mobile phones and pagers. * ends * About Yahoo! Australia & NZ Yahoo! Australia & NZ is one of the most recognised Internet brands in the region. www.yahoo.com.au and the online auction site SOLD.com.au are part of the global network of Yahoo! sites. By working with leading local companies, Yahoo! Australia & NZ provides comprehensive and localised media, commerce and communication services to over four million Australians and New Zealanders each month. For marketers, government and businesses, the company offers intelligent, innovative and integrated marketing, selling and Internet broadcast solutions for maximum impact.Yahoo! Australia & NZ has offices in Sydney and Melbourne and can be found on the Web at www.yahoo.com.au and www.yahoo.co.nz About Yahoo! Inc Yahoo! Inc. is a leading global Internet communications, commerce and media company that offers a comprehensive branded network of services to more than 219 million individuals each month worldwide. As the first online navigational guide to the Web, www.yahoo.com is the leading guide in terms of traffic, advertising, household and business user reach. Yahoo! is the No. 1 Internet brand globally and reaches the largest audience worldwide. The company also provides online business and enterprise services designed to enhance the productivity and Web presence of Yahoo!'s clients. These services include Corporate Yahoo!, a popular customised enterprise portal solution; audio and video streaming; store hosting and management; and Web site tools and services. The company's global Web network includes 24 World properties. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Yahoo! has offices in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Australia, Canada and the United States. ### Yahoo!, Yahoo! Australia & NZ, and the Yahoo! logo are trademarks of Yahoo! Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners. For further information, photos or interviews, please contact: Anna Featherstone Yahoo! Australia & NZ Tel: 02 8925 0100 or email: pr@au.yahoo-inc.com Copyright © 1994-2001 Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved.