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Instant Message

Instant messaging or Instant Message or IM is a form of real-time communication between two or more people based on typed text. The text is conveyed via computers connected through a network such as the Internet. Instant message offers real-time communication and allows easy collaboration, which might be considered more related to genuine conversation than email's letter format. Unlike the e-mails, the parties know whether the peer is available. Most systems allow the user to set an online status or away message so peers are informed when the user is available, busy, or away from the computer. On the other hand, people are not impelled to respond immediately to the incoming messages. For this reason, some people consider communication via instant messaging to be less incompetent than communication via phone.

However, some systems allow sending of messages to people that are not currently logged online. It means the system allows offline messages. Instant message allows instant communication between a number of parties at the same time through quick and efficient transformation of information. The IM system also features immediate receipt of acknowledgment or reply. In certain cases IM involves additional features that are even more popular, using web-cams, or to talk directly for free over the Internet. It is even possible to save a conversation for later reference. Instant messages are typically logged in a local message history which bridge the gulf to the lasting nature of e-mails and facilitates quick exchange of information like URLs or document snips.

Instant message applications make its appearance in 1970s on multi-user operating systems like UNIX. Initially it was introduced to facilitate communication with other users logged in to the same machine. Then it increased on to include the local network, and subsequently across the Internet.Some of these used a peer-to-peer protocol for example, talk, ntalk and ytalk, while others required peers to connect to a server. Example of this type are talker and IRC. As all of these protocols were based inside a console window, most of those discovering the Internet in the mid-1990s equate it with the web tended not to encounter them.

There have been several attempts to create an unified standard for instant message. Some of these include: IETF's SIP or Session Initiation Protocol, SIMPLE or SIP for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions, APEX or Application Exchange, Prim or Presence and Instant Messaging Protocol and the open XML-based XMPP or Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol. But the more commonly known attempts are Jabber, OMA's or Open Mobile Alliance and IMPS or Instant Messaging and Presence Service. These are created specifically for mobile devices.Most attempts at creating a unified standard for the major IM providers like AOL, Yahoo! and Microsoft have failed. Consequently, each continues to use its own proprietary protocol.