Embattled Yahoo! (is everyone else as surprised as I am that Semel retained the CEO position?) released a new web version of Yahoo! Messenger...

Yahoo! Messenger for the Web (Beta)

It doesn't have any of the extra features available in the client software version. However, it has the advantage of not needing any download or installation and the usual side effects that result. Since it web based, it may work in some enterprises where IM clients are blocked.

If Yahoo!'s going this web route, they should probably buy Jaiku or Twitter and merge it with a web-ified Messenger to make it a more interesting web service.

Yahoo has some great properties (Del.icio.us, Flickr, Yahoo! Mail, etc.). Let's hope they can pull out of their current tech management nosedive and survive for a few more years.