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Instant Messaging Providers |
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Instant Messaging is the process of exchanging text messages in real time between two or more people logged into a particular instant messaging (IM) service. Instant messaging is more interactive than e-mail because messages are sent immediately, whereas e-mail messages can be queued up in a mail server for seconds or minutes. However, there are no elaborate page layout options in instant messaging as there are with e-mail. The Instant Message text box is short, and pressing the Return key
often sends the text. Instant Messaging providers have designed this for fast text interaction.
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Instant messaging Providers may also services like video phoning, file sharing, PC-to-PC voice calling and PC-to-regular-phone calling. Instant messaging has promoted IP telephony because the IM software makes it easy to switch from "text chat" to "voice chat," providing the user has a headset or microphone and speakers. The instant message providers give the option to the users to set up a buddy list. You also have to add the user names of the people you want to message with to your "buddy
list" which is also called friend list or contact list. When they log on to the Internet with their Instant message software, and provided they have not configured themselves as "invisible," you are instantly alerted. When they log off, you are also notified. Each system has its own method for blocking incoming and outgoing messages.
The first instant messaging service was introduced in 1996 by an Israeli based ICQ .ICQ is an instant messaging computer program, owned by Time Warner's AOL subsidiary. ICQ was first developed by the Israeli company Mirabilis. The first version of the program was released in November 1996.After that It was later acquired by America Online. The major Instant Messaging Providers are AOL's Instant Messenger (AIM), ICQ, Yahoo! Messenger,Rediff Bol Google Talk, Jabber and Microsoft's
incarnations: MSN Messenger, Windows Messenger and Windows Live Messenger.
Apart from all these Instant Messaging Providers a third party client such as Trillian which has its official website as www.ceruleanstudios.com and Simple Instant Messenger with the website address as http://sim-im.berlios.de were designed to interface with multiple IM services, the IM clients from the IM service itself were always proprietary to that service. Google changed that practice by basing Google Talk on the open XMPP protocol used in Jabber, which is supported by the open
source community. The Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) is an open XML technology for real-time communication, which powers a wide range of applications including instant messaging, presence, media negotiation, white boarding, collaboration, lightweight middle ware, content syndication, and generalized XML routing.
The Internet has revolutionized our ways of communication. E-mail has been the most rapidly adopted form of communication ever known. Less than two decades ago, not many people had heard of it. Now, many of us e-mail instead of writing letters or even calling people on the phone. People around the world send out billions of e-mail messages every day. One should remember that sometimes even e-mail is not that fast enough. You might not know if a person you want to e-mail is online at that
moment. Also, if you are e-mailing back and forth with someone, you usually have to click through a few steps. This is why instant messaging (IM) has become so popular. Most of the Instant Messaging Providers give you the various features like
Instant messages - Send notes back and forth with a friend who is online
Chat - Create a chat room with friends or co-workers
Web links - Share links to your favorite Web sites
Video - Send and view videos, and chat face to face with friends
Images - Look at an image stored on your friend's computer
Sounds - Play sounds for your friends
Files - Share files by sending them directly to your friends
Talk - Use the Internet instead of a phone to actually talk with friends
Streaming content - Real-time or near-real-time stock quotes and news
Mobile capabilities - Send instant messages from your cell phone
Over the years, the capabilities of Instant message providers have increased considerably. Like Google talk user can archive IM conversations and also drag files and folders directly onto the chat window, with photos showing up instantly in their friend's chat window. Windows Live Messenger allows instant-messaging between Xbox 360 gamers. Personalization capabilities have exploded, with IMers able to customize personal icons, screen interfaces and greetings.
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