Aimed to add group chat functionality as feature in some of its leading products, Microsoft has agreed to acquire a leading group chat solutions provider, Parlano. However, financial terms of the acquisition were not announced but the deal is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2007.

The group chat functionality will be added as a new feature of Microsoft(R) Office Communications Server and Microsoft Office
Communicator, Microsoft’s server and client software for presence, instant messaging, conferencing and VoIP.

“Parlano’s expertise and technology, added to Microsoft’s unified communications offering, will deliver customers the most complete presence, instant messaging and group chat solution on the market,” said Gurdeep Singh Pall, corporate vice president of the Unified Communications Group at Microsoft.

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