Users of America Online Inc.’s instant messaging service can now automatically see from Microsoft Corp.’s popular Outlook e-mail application whether their friends and colleagues are online. A free tool AOL is offering beginning Monday integrates “buddy list” information from AOL Instant Messenger with Outlook.

When you receive an e-mail from an AIM member who is online, a yellow “running man” logo appears in the “from” line next to the e-mail address. If you believe a quick chat session might be more appropriate in reply than a series of further e-mails back and forth, clicking on the logo launches the AIM software for you.

Source: Neowin.net