As the head of collaboration services for Reuters, the former Microsoft executive is trying to turn the Reuters Messaging service into a test bed for connecting rival instant messaging services. Since joining Reuters in April 2003, Gurle has struck agreements to connect with America Online's AOL Instant Messenger and ICQ services. Earlier this week, he signed a deal with IBM's Lotus Sametime service.
Reuters is also talking over similar deals involving Yahoo Messenger and Microsoft's MSN Messenger, according to sources, though Gurle declined to confirm the negotiations.
But in the contentious world of instant messaging, getting giants such as AOL, MSN and Yahoo to play ball is no small feat. All three remain closed networks to one another, and the issue of interoperability is a topic of avoidance for all three.
Still, the issues behind IM may be an easier sell to corporate clients. While it remains unclear whether Reuters shares revenue with its IM partners, it clearly takes some heavy incentives to convince folks like AOL to open their networks to third parties.
In a phone interview during the peak of Hurricane Isabel, Gurle spoke with CNET News.com about the complexities of getting IM operators to one day connect their networks to each other.
Q: In February, you said IM service providers like AOL, MSN and Yahoo will see their power wane as IT managers demand corporate versions of their software. Do you still believe that? It doesn't seem like IT managers are jumping to buy enterprise-class IM.
A: There is a clear need for connectivity for the financial industry, and today that connectivity is impossible because of the fragmented market around IM. That creates a significant demand for us from customers saying, "solve that problem for us. We need that connectivity and reach. We understand the value of presence and of IM. We want to adopt it but we can't."
That basically creates a foundation which we can take and bring to AOL and say, "AOL, here's the problem we can solve, and here's what the market is ready to bear."
