Microsoft's MSN unit continued a gradual unveiling of its new instant messenger application for consumers, showing screen shots of the new software and setting a summer timeframe for its release.

Pictures that Microsoft posted on Monday of MSN Messenger, version 6, show new voice and video features that will bring the company's consumer IM application up to speed with both its fiercest competition and its own separately marketed IM clients.

Microsoft has waged a determined battle to wrest consumer instant messenger market share from AOL Time Warner amid similar challenges to AOL from Yahoo and countless IM start-ups. The company has sought to create buzz around the new version with an announcement in March, today's sneak peak and promises of more details to come between now and the summer launch.

Microsoft said its current versions of MSN Messenger have more than 100 million unique users per month, a high point for the company.

Despite apparent progress in attracting new users to its free product, Microsoft remains behind in terms of feature innovation--though the new multimedia capabilities may at least beat AOL, which has also lagged on voice and video.

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