Messaging Software
The internet craze of the previous millennium was instant messaging. Remember the days of ICQ and IRC? In the 21st century, instant messaging is still the common denominator of web savvies. Despite, the emergence and growing popularity of social networking sites, instant messaging software tools like those from AOL, Yahoo and Microsoft are still the common meeting destinations of friends and families around the world.
The instant messaging software industry has remarkably advanced over the years. Popularly known as IM, the message software is technically defined as any instantaneous communication utility usually built on text-based means of exchanging information. Since the conversation is made real time, a client tool needs to be installed on both the sending and receiving parties.
A messaging software is unique from that of emailing since exchange happens one at a time. With a messaging software, one can even converse with multiple clients. IRC or Internet Relay Chat is mostly credited for the foundations of instant message software. Unlike emailing, IRC allows the user to set a status message, so the clients will know if the person is available, busy or out for a while. Messaging softwares have also made emoticons popular. Emoticon is short for emotion and icon, emotions are small graphical elements that a user can send along with text, to display emotion.
The popularity of emoticons among instant message software clients reflects some of the disadvantages of instant messaging. Since users are not visible, showing of emotions usually seen in facial expressions are only limited to small fancy smileys. But that has been changed now, since new technologies like VoIP, web conferencing and video conferencing have now enabled users to display and express more of themselves.
Real-time conversation is what really makes message software famous. If the other user is unavailable, one may send offline messages which will be saved and later retrieved by the recipient once he is online. Instant messaging software also allows users to exchange not only text based info or video, users can also send pictures, files, documents and presentations instantaneously.
The very first instant messaging software was used in the 70s under a multiple user OS platform called UNIX in the United States. Employees of different companies, for the first time exchanged text messages through local area network. Gradually, new technologies were developed to span coverage of messaging worldwide using the internet. IRC and Talker became the earliest instant messaging tools of the last century. The graphical user interface included multiple windows each assigned to a single user.
In the 90s, Quantum Links developed the software called OLM, short for On-line Messages. Quantum Links would later become AOL or America Online. And OLM would later turn into AIM or AOL Instant Messages. AIM presented more user-friendly and compact graphical user interface as opposed to the wide screen size of IRC.
Mirabilis on the other hand have also created its own messaging software. In 1996,the popularity of ICQ, which means i-seek-you, blasted off the start of the age of internet messaging. AIM closely followed ICQ. Years later, AOL purchased Mirabilis and took full ownership and service mark of “instant messenger”. Other web companies like MSN and Yahoo developed also their own instant messaging protocols.
Instant messaging continues to dominate in the 21st century, as it penetrated the mobile phone industry. Message software applications designed for mobile use include those that come from MSN, AIM, Yahoo and Google Talk. Mobile instant messaging will be different from the SMS format since it allows cluster communication.
AIM currently leads the pack of instant messenger softwares with 53 million users, Jabber closes in with 40 million, followed by MSN at 27.2 million and Yahoo Messenger with 22 million. Instant messaging is definitely here to stay, technologies may advance, but the fondness for instantaneous messaging is still the same. No other tool, lets you greet, talk, see and call your friend in real time than a messaging software