Simplify the following text for a Grade 12 native English-speaking person.
Original: However , while discussions at IETF were stalled , Reuters head of collaboration services , David Gurle ( the founder of Microsoft 's Real Time Communication and Collaboration business ) , surprised everybody by signing the first inter-service provider connectivity agreement on September 2003 .
Simplified: However , while discussions at IETF were stalled , Reuters signed the first inter-service provider connectivity agreement on September 2003 .