Two giants announced on Thursday that they will integrate VoIP calling with the features and functionality of Yahoo Messenger. The service will be distributed on the Yahoo network in the United Kingdom and through a wide variety of BT channels throughout that nation. The companies also plan to make BT Communicator a part of all Yahoo Messenger clients distributed in the United Kingdom.

VoIP calling isn't new to Yahoo since it has been available in the Messenger product since 2001. What is new about the BT and Yahoo product is that it allows the instant-messaging client to make calls to any telephone in the traditional circuit-switched telephone network, said Jon Carter, a BT spokesman. Yahoo's stand-alone Messenger product only allows PC-to-PC calling.

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