IM or Instant Messaging (usually referred as IMP or Instant Messaging and Presence) is a type of application for chat and presence – most popularly on proprietary networks such as MSN Messenger (now called Windows Live Messenger), YahooI Messenger, AIM, Gadu-Gadu, QQ or ICQ.
One of the most popular open source IM platforms is Jabber (also known as XMPP), this is used by Google Talk, Gizmo Project and WengoPone (OpenWengo) and is widely deployed for intranet instant messaging.
Despite the fact that most IM is conducted over proprietary networks owned by Yahoo!, Microsoft or AOL/Time Warner and others, open source clients for these networks exist, most popularly Psi, Gajim and Spark for Jabber/XMPP or Kopete and Gaim for multi-protocol IM (or Adium for OSX which uses libgaim).
IM
instant-messaging
Jabber
open
imp
xmpp
opensource
standards
Psi is a free/opensource Jabber/XMPP (instant messaging) client for Windows, Mac OS X or GNU/Linux. Built on Jabber/XMPP, Psi is designed to be fast and lightweight.
The overall goal of the Psi project is to create a free/opensource, powerful, yet easy-to-use Jabber/XMPP client that tries to strictly adhere to the XMPP drafts and Jabber XEPs. In most cases, Psi will not implement a feature unless there is an accepted standard for it in the Jabber community. This practice helps Psi be stable, predictable, and Jabber compatible, both from an end-user and developer standpoint.
psi
xmpp
Jabber
Justin-Karneges
imp
open
Windows
osx
IM
linux
Kopete is a flexible and extendable multiple protocol instant messaging system designed as a plugin-based system.
Kopete supports messaging to the open Jabber/XMPP and IRC, but also proprietary MSN messenger/Windows Live Messenger, AIM, ICQ, Gadu-Gadu, GroupWise, SMS, Skype and Yahoo! Messenger networks.
Kopete was designed to run on KDE, although it can run in other desktop environments.
Kopete features a tabbed messaging interface, and allows users to easily consolidate their multiple IM accounts. The contact list can be customized with custom aliases, and multiple buddy IM accounts can be consolidated into a single account for contacts with more than one IM account.
Kopete integrates with KAddressBook and KMail, to avoid silo-ing contact details. Message window style is controlled by CSS and is easily skinnable, the IM emoticons can be extended or replaced as well.
Jabber is an IM platform designed to be open, fast, and easy to use and extend.
IM
instant-messaging
Jabber
open
imp
xmpp
opensource
standards
License:GPL