Secure Instant Messaging

‘Mobile IM is about to hit the big time. But is it really that great a tool for businesses? Futurity Media’s Stewart Baines is sceptical.

Mobile instant messaging has so far been a slow burner but a coalition of operators formed in Barcelona at the annual 3GSM Congress hopes to change that. Fifteen key international operators, including Orange, Telefonica, T-Mobile and Vodafone, joined with the GSM Association in announcing a programme dubbed ‘personal IM’ to interconnect their mobile instant messaging platforms. In doing so, they hope to extend IM’s potential far beyond that seen in the PC realm.’

Read more at Is mobile IM bad for business?

{Instant Messaging In Business}

Research and Markets has announced the addition of Instant Messaging (IM) - Evolving Into A Multimedia Hub to their offering

This market report delivers in-depth analysis of the instant messaging (IM) market, and its ongoing development (interoperability, VoIP, mobility…) in both the consumer and business segments. IM has become a major market in terms of advertising for portals, traffic for mobile operators and licences for business application publishers.

– Instant messaging began to develop in the late 1990s as a system for sending person-to-person text messages in real time.

– But IM now goes well beyond its initial role, and has become a strategic multimedia hub for promoting other services. And so it finds itself at the heart of a battle between ISPs and web portals (and particularly between the portals themselves: MSN, Yahoo!, AOL, QQ, etc…) and, more recently, attracting a great many new entrants.

{Instant Messenger News}

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‘Microsoft recently announced at 3GSM cell phone trade show in Barcelona that it plans to extend its corporate instant messaging software for use with mobile devices.

The new product is called Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile, and will run on Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2005. The mobile messaging software can be integrated with desktop PCs, so as to allow businesspeople on the go the freedom to communicate when away from their desks.’

Read more at Microsoft Makes Corporate Messaging Mobile

{Mobile Instant Messaging}

‘As if navigating wireless and traditional phone plans wasn’t enough, you have another option to consider: Web-based phone service, otherwise known as voice over Internet protocol.

If you’re looking to lower your phone bill, it’s a welcome option.

Someone with a traditional landline, for instance, who switches to VoIP can save $300 annually, said Allan Keiter, of MyRatePlan.com (assuming the average landline costs $50 per month).’

Read more at Internet phone service can save you money

{VOIP}

‘Even as the US government is embroiled in a debate over the legality of wiretapping, the fastest-growing technology for Internet calls appears to have the potential to make eavesdropping a thing of the past.

Skype, the Internet calling service recently acquired by eBay Inc, provides free voice calls and instant messaging between users. Unlike other Internet voice services, Skype calls are encrypted — encoded using complex mathematical operations. That apparently makes them impossible to snoop on, though the company leaves the issue somewhat open to question.

Skype is certainly not the first application for encrypted communications on the Internet. Secure e-mail and instant messaging programs have been available for years at little or no cost.’

Read more at Will Skype signal the end of eavesdropping?

{Skype}

‘AIMOnPSP is an AOL Instant Messenger client for the Sony Playstation Portable. The purpose of this project was to make a web-based AIM client that can be used in almost any browser that supports JavaScript (such as the one included in the new PSP firmware); it uses no Java or Flash. AIMOnPSP is a free service and runs from our server which means that you don’t have to download anything or load anything onto your PSP in order to use it. Simply sign in using the form below and you’ll be on your way to messaging your friends in no time. ‘

Read more at AIMOnPSP

{AOL Instant Messenger}

‘A worm that affects computers running Apple Computer Inc.’s MacOS X operating system is circulating on the Internet, according to antivirus software makers.

The worm, Leap.A, spreads through the iChat instant messaging client and causes applications to run improperly, according to warnings posted on the sites of several antivirus software makers.’

Read more at Enterprise Infrastructure > Operating Systems > Worm wiggles its way into MacOS X

{Secure Instant Messaging}

‘A malicious computer worm has been found that targets Apple Computer Inc.’s Mac OS X operating system, believed to be the first such virus aimed specifically at the Mac platform.

The worm is called OSX/Leap-A, according to a posting on the Web site of antivirus software company Sophos, which said the worm is spread via instant messaging programs.

The worm attempts to spread via Apple’s (Research) iChat instant messaging program, which is compatible with America Online’s popular AIM instant messaging program, according to the Sophos Web site.’

Read more at Virus attacking Apple Macintosh computers found

{Secure Instant Messaging}

‘Research and Markets has announced the addition of Instant Messaging (IM) - Evolving Into A Multimedia Hub to their offering

This market report delivers in-depth analysis of the instant messaging (IM) market, and its ongoing development (interoperability, VoIP, mobility…) in both the consumer and business segments. IM has become a major market in terms of advertising for portals, traffic for mobile operators and licences for business application publishers.’

Read more at Instant Messaging - Accounts for over 10 Billion Messages Being Exchanged Per Day

{Instant Messenger News}

‘AS PART of an initiative sponsored by the GSM Association (GSMA), five major mobile operators have banded together to announce an IM (Instant Messaging) service which will work across their networks.

It’s bound to be hailed as the next big thing after SMS. That’s because MMS/picture messaging has failed to provide the revenues that the operators so desired. Only in the US is IM even remotely bigger than texting.’

Read more at Operators unite over Instant Messaging

{Instant Messenger News}