![]() ![]() Chatbots are used for automating simple customer service requests.Īpplications like Pidgin and Trillian offer encrypted messaging, which can be used for off-the-record chats and sensitive data, like personal health information. They mimic the user experience in an IM exchange, but instead of speaking with another person, the user is speaking to an automated program. ![]() Many social media platforms incorporate IM features.Ĭhatbots are a variation on IM'ing. In a consumer context, instant messaging is a useful alternative to text and Short Message Service ( SMS) messages because a cellular network is not required for IM'ing. For instance, Zoom, which is primarily known for video conferencing, contains IM chat features, and the company is planning to expand its chat capabilities. Applications that were primarily for other uses are expanding into IM. Instant messaging is a key form of communication to keep remote workers connected and coordinate workflows. Users can IM from a range of devices, not just their phone.Įnterprise instant messaging systems let users indicate their availability, chat with each other, exchange documents and hold group meetings. IM'ing is faster than email and more direct than other asynchronous forms of communication. Enterprise and consumer users find it an immediate, convenient and flexible alternative to email. Instant messaging is used for real-time communication among users on the internet. Now, instant messaging is more often found as a feature within another web- or cloud-based service, such as Facebook, Gmail and Skype, or as a mobile app, such as WhatsApp Messenger. These apps were long deployed as desktop clients that had to be downloaded and installed. However, the use of open standards is more common today, enabling multiplatform instant messaging systems, such as Pidgin and Trillian.Īnother important shift in IM is the way in which it's accessed and delivered. In the past, IM clients were often based on proprietary protocols, requiring that users use the same communication software. The user can also receive a visual notification, such as flashing the IM window or its taskbar icon when a message arrives. Many IM clients notify the user with a distinctive sound, such as a chime or chirp. Or, depending on the user's settings, a window could indicate an IM has arrived along with a prompt to accept or reject it. When a message is received, the instant messaging application alerts the recipient with a window - often a pop-up window - containing the incoming message. Most IM clients can be configured to reject certain users. In addition, the intended recipient must be willing to accept instant messages. Instant messaging Offline#If offline messaging is not supported, attempting to IM an unavailable user results in a notification that the transmission cannot be completed. Once the intended recipient has been identified and selected, the sender opens an IM window to begin the session.įor IM'ing to work as intended, users must be online at the same time, although nearly all instant messaging platforms enable asynchronous interactions between online and offline users. Contact or buddy lists of frequent contacts can be created. Generally, IM users must know each other's username or screen name to initiate a session. Instant messaging requires users to communicate via the same application. Email, on the other hand, usually reflects a longer-form, letter writing style. Because IM is intended to mimic in-person conversations, individual messages are often brief. IM also tends to be session-based, having a start and an end. ![]() Instant messaging differs from email in the immediacy of the message exchange. As the technology has evolved, many IM clients have added support for features such as file transfer and image sharing within an IM session. Unlike chatrooms with many users engaging in multiple and overlapping conversations, IM sessions usually take place between two users in a private, back-and-forth style of communication.Ī core feature of many instant messenger clients is the ability to see whether a friend or co-worker is online and connected through the selected service - a capability known as presence. Instant messaging, often shortened to IM or IM'ing, is the exchange of near- real-time messages through a standalone application or embedded software. ![]()
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