[Serusers] Windows Messenger charges user fees?

[Michael Kendall]

Mark,

I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your rare
and insightful comments about Windows Messenger (WM).
Valuable warnings of this kind are understandably
difficult to find  on the Microsoft Website,
or anywhere else for that matter.
The restrictions you describe are probably the reason
that WM gets so little mention on the serusers list.

I visited the Microsoft website describing WM,
and all of the WM documents I find are dated 2001,
as if Microsoft has abandoned the WM product,
which I don't think is really the case.

The documents did not mention any plan
for me to pay a fee for WM use,
with or without whiteboard and IM service.  
The site makes WM appear 100% free.
Can you please direct me to a website or a phone number
where I can find out the amount and conditions
of such WM charges?

During my startup phase, while I am evaluating the viability
of my tutoring business model,
it is probably acceptable for me to pay WM fees to Microsoft,
and to restrict myself to the uPnP routers required by WM.
But over the longer term, both of those limitations will
present a serious problem, just as you have suggested.
Microsoft's failure to include STUN support in WM is
a serious error which limits its deployability.

thanks for your help,

Michael