Microsoft introduces new developer tools for integrating IM functionality into apps Microsoft will try to entice partners and customers to integrate functionality from its enterprise instant messaging (IM) system into their applications when on Thursday the vendor introduces new developer tools.Microsoft will make available for download ActiveX controls and sample code that the company says will simplify the integration of IM and presence capabilities from Live Communications Server (LCS) 2005 into business applications.Microsoft hopes that the controls and code will motivate developers from both its partners and its customers to thread LCS functions into their applications, said Marc Sanders, senior product manager of real-time collaboration at Microsoft. “We’re creating these [code and controls] as a catalyst,” he said. “We’re just scratching the surface here” of what’s possible.With this initiative, Microsoft is responding to the rising demand for IM and presence capabilities in business applications, as organizations discover how IM and presence can significantly improve communication and collaboration among users, he said.Presence Controls for Office Communicator 2005 will be available Thursday. Those controls are designed to let developers using Microsoft’s Visual Studio add presence icons to an application, indicating the availability status of users. Office Communicator, formerly code-named Istanbul, is the preferred front-end for LCS 2005. Another developer treat available Thursday will be Role Agent Sample for LCS 2005, which helps developers define a role, such as customer service representative, for multiple users. In that case, any of those users grouped under that role will be able to reply to instant messages sent to the customer service representative IM contact.Microsoft plans to create more controls and sample code to motivate developers to integrate LCS functions with their applications, Sanders said.More information about this Microsoft initiative can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/office/livecomm/prodinfo/partners.mspx Partners already building LCS capabilities into their applications include Meridio, OSIsoft, and Siebel Systems. Software DevelopmentSmall and Medium Business