An application providing a common interface allowing access and login to a electronic mail system and instant messaging system. The application allows responding to an email using an instant message, replying to an instant message using an email, sending and receiving both email and instant messages from one application, sending email attachments instantly, and displaying presence information for the user, user email contacts and user messenger contacts. Alerts are provided for both emails and instant messages received. The inbox views can automatically be refreshed when a user receives new email. An interface is provided to convert multiple email contacts into messenger contacts. The system can be used with both local messenger clients and browser based IM clients.