So I’ve installed this blasted Google Talk application mostly because I am interested in comparing it to Skype really. The interface is ok I guess and it’s nice getting GMail pop-up alerts (except I don’t really use GMail right now).

In any event, you can’t tell if the thing works without someone logged in. It’s too early for anyone to be online via my normal IM so I’m checking here.

If you’re on Talk, hit me up madmonk AT gmail DOT com.

I came across an article on News.com that takes a quick look at how the Air Force is now getting into the IM business as well. Here’s a snapshot:

The Air Force has launched an instant messaging service for enlisted people stationed abroad to communicate with their families and loved ones.

The new program, called “Friends and Family Instant Messenger,” will let airmen chat with anybody with an Internet connection. It was launched earlier this week. Airmen must first send an invitation to family members and friends–limited to five–to register on the Air Force’s Web portal to begin chatting. The service is a departure from the military body’s former policy of keeping instant messaging for internal use only.

Source: News.com, “To airmen, from the Air Force: New IM tool”

Yesterday I touched on the upcoming Microsoft LCS and its possible opportunity in the corporate IM marketplace. A second article has come to my attention that attempts to surface some of the sludge from the murky depths of corporate infrastructure.

I don’t know how many people are working from deep within a cubicle these days, but the heavy hand of Big Brother may be coming down on your shoulder soon. News.com has the report:

According to the ePolicy-AMA survey, 60 percent of U.S. companies now use software to monitor incoming and outgoing external e-mail, while 27 percent of employers use software to track internal e-mail between employees. By contrast, employers have been relatively slow to monitor instant messaging, with just 10 percent of companies surveyed indicating they have taken steps to listen in on desktop chat.

“Employers think IM is an emerging technology and they don’t have to monitor it yet,” Flynn said. “But if they have employees in their 20s, chances are (those employees) probably have been using IM since high school and view it as old technology. And if a company doesn’t provide enterprise IM, (workers will) probably go out on the Internet and download a free version.”

Source: “Mind those IMs–your cubicle’s walls have eyes”, News.com

Clearly there are some large issues at stake here and it’s going to take a considerable amount of examination and concession to reach a set of guidelines that keep both sides happy (I think at least). Is your company monitoring your IM conversations? Do you have guidelines you can share? Would this be a major issue for you as you considered a new job?

I thought everyone was saying corporate IM was dead ;) OK. Probably not. Microsoft has been working for some time on its Live Communications Server (LCS). I’m still not sure why this will succeed where others have failed (aside from the shear girth of the gorilla), but here’s what News.com had to say:

The Redmond, Wash., company said Tuesday that its Live Communications Server 2005 software will let companies encrypt their instant-messaging communications internally and link IM systems between companies so that suppliers and other business partners can share secure IM connections.

Additionally, Live Communications Server, or LCS, will include an option for letting companies link to public instant-messaging networks from Microsoft, America Online and Yahoo, so that employees can chat with users on the Big Three IM services.

Source: News.com, “Microsoft logs on to secure corporate IM”

I think one of the key features is the private-public interface. There have been many studies done that show that even in the Enterprise, public IM is king. Providing bridges makes sure people are interested in setting up alternative methods of contact. This is a much more comfortable route than the often used “Corporate IM Cockblock” (you know, the one where the Network Admin filteres all traffic leaving you with zero options).

Are you using an Enterprise IM system at work? Is it any good? What do you like about it? What do you despise?

There’s been some speculation as of late that Google is scheduled to launch and IM program on their own. I’ve got a few thoughts on the matter:

• Jabber-based - Any incarnation of an IM from Google, in my opinion, would have to be based on an open standard such as Jabber. In the long term, I think Jabber is the protocol of choice for IM and we can expect a great deal of growth in this area.

• Desktop / Web Client - Google is dead set on moving into the desktop space. I doubt, however, that they’ll barrel past their web roots. The heritage has established a trackrecord for API-based development which affords both deployment platforms.

• Tight Integration - Google has had the benefit of watching Yahoo! and the like develop their IM strategies in public. What works, what doesn’t, and what’s needed are all still apparent and we can trust this team to come to the rescue in a big way. I’d expect a very minimalist tool, but that will afford better integration with Google Desktop Search, the Google Toolbar, and who knows what else.

• Socially Networked - There’s no doubt Google will try to tie in their Orkut property and Google Personalized Search into this potential application. IM is a wonderful playground for making new connections. ICQ and AIM have made efforts, but in my opinion still dropped the ball as this is concerned. There’s still room for a newcomer to encourage NEW relationships and community.

So some of the big questions that remain are:

• Will this beast be another AdWords-driven monster?
• Do I want another IM client?
• Will you drink the Kool Aid and install it?

Well, I had really hoped that we would have moved to something cooler than plain-old text-based IM, but the truth of the matter its here to stay for some time.

Over the past couple of weeks, there have been releases of new devices that focus on one thing, and one thing along - IM. These handheld, phoneless devices provide a outlet for “expression” for teenagers around the States. Engadget reports on the ZipIt Wireless IM Device:

It’s going to have some stiff competition amongst the IMfree, Ogo, and, of course, the Sidekick II in the increasingly crowded arena of teenage handheld wireless-texting gadgets, but everything about the Zipit Wireless Instant Messenger—from the 802.11(b, we presume) with WEP, to the integrated firewall, to the full QWERTY keyboard and 4-8 hour battery life—should ensure it will be in good compan., So yeah, you could say it’s pretty good for a Benjamin, considering it’s 4 x 3.5 x ¾-inches in size, and also supposedly downloads plugins for updating IM protocols and streaming music. We’ll see though, we’ll see, we’re trying not to get our hopes up too much.

Source: Engadget.com, “Zipit Wireless IM finally gets your teenager off the phone”

In a world that seemed to be steaming towards convergence of media devices, this is somewhat of a surprise. However, considering the target and the environments they play in, it’s not that surprising.

I can remember countless times in the past where I’ve gotten this phone call:

Them:Greg, you online?

Me:Yeah, why?

Them: Oh, didn’t see you. Can you check again?

Perhaps I’ve baited most into this situation. To be honest I work from 15-20 hours a day, sometimes more. I’m probably the most likely person you can IM at any time and be sure to get a response. It’s scary on most if not all levels.

I’ve often wondered just how much time people spend online. In the back of my mind, from the limited perspective of my buddy list, everyone’s always online. This really reflects back on the social network I have in place — full of geeks and other technophiles one technological generation from gimplants (gizmo implants).

I came across some interesting numbers, however, yesterday in an article that are worth repeating:

Instant messaging ranks with e-mail and Web surfing as one of the most popular activities on the Internet. Studies show that IM users are loyal and stay connected for hours at a time.

For users at home and at work in August, MSN Messenger led the pack with 28.6 million unique users, followed by the once-dominant AIM with 27.6 million, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. Yahoo trailed at 18.1 million, the research firm said.

MSN users spent an hour and a half using IM every time they launched the software. AIM users spent five hours per session, and Yahoo Messenger users typically logged on for about two hours and 50 minutes, Nielsen/NetRatings said.

Source: News.com, “Can IM morph into ‘instant music’?”

Two hours? That’s it? I think I need to go outside more.

The folks at Apple must check over their shoulders quite often throughout the day. Being the market leader in online music sales can only drive many other ravenous folks to seek you out and destroy you. For sure, when most people thing portable music these days, they think iPod. For the most part, the same thing comes to mind when we dream of our ultimate “online music store”.

More plans are starting to come around that could stem some of Apple’s success. A few weeks ago, Microsoft released their Music Store, with little fanfare, I might note. More recently, however, Yahoo! has tipped its hat as well.

Yahoo’s plans are still sketchy, but sources close to the company say instant messaging will play a key role. While the popular IM software already lets people listen to online radio, new versions will let people share and interact with one another’s digital playlists.

“The whole advantage that (Yahoo) has is using its broad reach to push products and integrate them,” said one source familiar with the plan who spoke under the condition of anonymity.

News.com, “Can IM morph into ‘instant music’

Yesterday I was pondering when Yahoo! would release its social networking suite, based on the assertion that they’ve got many many pieces in place already. Then, I forgot to even consider the Yahoo! Messenger (as a Trillian user I hate them all, but I do actually hate the Yahoo! one the least).

I’m not sure where legal file trading really fits with IM, nor of the collective tinkering of playlists, but I can sense that there’s a model present that will better reveal itself in the near-term.

News.com reports on a new study that takes a look at the use of IM outside of the home space, specifically in business and mobile environments. Some interesting findings:

Nearly 27 percent of all IM users surveyed said they use instant messaging at work. This represents an increase of 71 percent over last year, AOL said.

Seventy percent of those who use IM at work do so to communicate with colleagues, while 34 percent use it to interact with clients or customers. Eleven percent of office IM users said they have used instant messaging at work to avoid a potentially difficult in-person conversation, and 62 percent send occasional instant messages during their workday to check in with family and friends.

Researchers that found mobile usage is up as well, with 19 percent of IM users sending instant messages or SMS (Short Message System) messages from mobile phones and PDAs. That’s up from 10 percent last year.

Source: News.com, “Business, mobile IM on the rise”

It is interesting to see that while IM is used largely as a quick way to communicate information and receive input, it’s also used as a social forcefield of sorts that provides a “comfortable distance”. Looking back at my use, I can recount many situations where I’ve used IM for this purpose. Of course, usually it escalates into a phone call when things are really bad.

One interesting last observation is that “The most important IM features are photo sharing, customization and file sharing”. Unfortuantely, I’ve never had great success really using IM as a file-sharing gateway when it comes to firewalls, network latency and other IM gremlins.

When I first heard that the ringtone business was a $1B business, I have to admit that I was not out shocked but also mystified. Not being a teenager by any stretch, the need to download cute background and sound effects for my cell phone has pervaded me on all fronts.

For the past few generations of IM clients, there has been a flow of these types of features added to chat clients, from animated background and emoticons to audio alerts and animated avatars. AOL is set to unleash its latest set of toys on the IM Masses, but this time there’s a price to pay.

Earlier this week, the Web company quietly posted a link to the AOL Instant Messenger 5.9 Beta. The update adds a batch of personalization features, such as static and animated buddy icons, sound effects and “wallpaper” images for the IM windows, but these will come at a price.

The company will charge $9.95 for a yearly subscription or $1.95 a month to access these features, AOL spokeswoman Krista Thomas said. AIM users can also buy animated “SuperBuddy” icons outright for $1.95 each or $4.95 for three. Existing icons will remain free.

Source: News.com, “AIM update puts price on new buddies”

It’s difficult to tell if these features are really desired. Companies often suffer from tunnel vision, the kind that forces innovation that bolts onto “easy-to-update” aspects of a system. Could it be that adding these kinds of features are simply “easier” than offering greater functionality that makes use of the technology more effective or ubiquitous, but requires overhauling the underlying foundation?

The revenues, or lack thereof, of these enhancements should provide some insight into the question.