Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Instant messaging: feature or product?

From VentureBeat: Instant messaging: feature or product?:

An interesting article about how instant messaging is increasingly being integrated into web applications. Just like web email largely replaced desktop email clients, a similar shift is starting to happen with instant messaging. Here's what the article has to say about Google Talk:
Gmail has already successfully integrated the company’s IM platform, GTalk, so that its users can chat while emailing. We’ve also heard rumors that GTalk will be integrated with applications such as Google Docs. AOL and Google also agreed to make their IMs interoperable, albeit in a roundabout way — and it looks like this will happen soon. Like [Microsoft software architect Ray] Ozzie, Google CEO Eric Schmidt has been stressing the importance of mobile — like Microsoft, Google is integrating apps across platforms. What’s more, 3rd party sites such as Joost are integrating GTalk into their offerings.

3 comments:

fosk said...

The good thing of google talk is that it is based on standards (xmpp), so that everybody can integrate it in its product.

While instant messaging is becoming a feature in the new products (see Joost with gtalk, Xbox360 and msn messenger, etc..), the better option is to use standards for it.
You own an already running im platform (as microsoft), or you go with the standards.

I am glad google is integrating instant messaging in his apps. The new word is "collaboration", and instant messaging is basic for collaboration (as it will be voip, video conference, whiteboard sharing, etc...)

Keep integrating!! :)

Chris Harrison said...

both! the integration into web apps is more of a signal, to me at least, of a move AWAY from email and phone conversations and more towards instant, live collaboration/communication via IM. IM itself is a product, but coupled with online apps its a wonderful and valuable feature that can only serve to enhance the product it is coupled with.

Anonymous said...

i d like to see the same feat. i can find in skype: low cost sms and calls...