Tag - Work

Meebo have announced they will provide "instant messaging in a box" to various community websites. Think of it as a kind of shoutbox, where users can chat to other users on a website with an established community. The application will be similar to Facebook chat, in the sense a small box will pop-out once clicked, showing users online, with whom you can talk to.

This is yet another great idea from the Meebo ideas factory, but I'm not currently sure who will have access to it. I believe it is open to a selected few websites, with large communities, hoping to profit from ads within the application. If the service becomes publicly available, then expect to see one here.

>> Source: TechCrunch

There is no doubt websites such as MySpace and Facebook have become popular extremely fast. People connect to friends and make new ones to keep track with what their doing in their lives, through more accessible means. But has the increased use in social networking had a negative effect on instant messaging?

For me, yes. I no longer use Windows Live Messenger daily, nor do I spend much time on it at all. I've noticed my friends have adopted the same approach, they prefer to check out new photos and comments on Facebook rather than logging in and waiting to chat to friends. Then again, I have been more busy in recent times, and I spend less time on my computer altogether.



To top things off, Facebook have now get their own instant messaging system usable from every page within the website. It is convenient and easy to use, but I never use it. So have you noticed yourself using Messenger less and social networking more?

>> Source: mess.be - "Facebook catches up with Windows Live Messenger in UK"

UK users of Windows Live Messenger (any other countries? let us know) now have a tab allowing them to access updates on Facebook from within Messenger.

Simply open the tab (the one with the "f" icon) [picture link] and click the login button. This lets you login with your Facebook account from where you can add the "Facebook Updates for Messenger" application.

Allowing the app to have access to your information means that it can keep you up-to-date with you and your friends' status updates and photos [picture link]. Allowing "extended access" also lets you do things like change your Facebook status from within Messenger.

>> Add the Facebook Updates for Messenger app to your Facebook account
>> Give some suggestions or feedback about the tab

While we're talking about Facebook ...

• Try out Fibby, an add-in for Messenger that sets, and updates, your personal message to be the same as your status on Facebook (thanks to Adam Dempsey for telling us about it).

• Add the official Windows Live Messenger for Facebook application to your profile to view the status of and send IMs to your Facebook friends who also use the app. It also allows visitors to your profile to see your status and send you an IM. It was built using the Messenger Library, Presence API and IM Control and you can see the developers explain more about it in this video.

• Use Invite2Messenger to invite any of your Facebook friends not already on your Windows Live contact list to Messenger.

• ... Or just become a fan of Windows Live Messenger.

As some of you may or may not know, Facebook has rolled out a chat application on their website. It can be seen at the bottom right of any Facebook page, and it can be used to communicate with others. It's much like a messenger, in that it provides near instant messages, however, until recent news, it was just another browser based ajax cool thing.

However, this is soon to change. Facebook want to gain even more popularity by stepping it up a notch: jabber. One of the Facebook developers, David Reiss, posted Tuesday about a future addition to the Facebook chat.


Currently, jabber is quite accessible, even if not quite popular. Most people don't know, though, that Google Talk is based on the jabber protocol.

So what does this mean? This means that Facebook chat will be usable with many clients. A list of possible clients can be seen here. So is Facebook finally hitting a new market and making major competition to the already popular Yahoo! Messenger, Windows Live Messenger and Google Talk? Only time will tell.

>> Facebook.com
>> David Reiss' article

We're taking part in the first Blog Action Day, a day to blog about an issue to try and make a difference. This year the subject is how to save the environment and what better way to save trees and paper than to use instant messaging at work.

Cut down on post-it notes, letters and internal memos by using email, IM and even VoIP in your workplace, or go a step further and cut down on travel pollution as well by working from home and using the internet to communicate seamlessly with your office. It could even save you and your company money in the long run.

One of the best tools for workplace instant messaging and collaboration is Microsoft Office Communicator. The latest version, Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 (aka OC), launches this Tuesday 16th October along with the server software it runs on, Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 (aka OCS).

Communicator 2007 has many advantages over Windows Live Messenger in a workplace environment. Some of these include:

• Integration with Microsoft Office programs like Outlook (including the calendar) and business products like SharePoint
• Better security features (including message encryption and server-side logging)
• Advanced contact features (including presence information here, there and everywhere)
• Interoperability with Windows Live, Yahoo! and AOL messengers
• No ads (and a less bloated and cleaner UI in general)
• Support for phones (including call diversion and voicemail)
• Document collaboration features (including OneNote and Live Meeting)
• Multi-user video conferencing

And as Communicator comes in versions for the desktop, browser and Windows Mobile it means that you can access your office and work from almost anywhere and whilst on the move (and without needing a VPN).

I really feel that Office Communicator can be a revolution in business communications. Although it is hard to grasp how it is so different and better from previous offerings without trying it out for yourself, I can easily see this impressive product in offices all of the world in the near future.

Find out more about:
>> Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007
>> Microsoft Office Communicator 2007
>> Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile 2007
>> Microsoft Office Communicator Web Access 2007
>> ... the rest of Microsoft's Unified Communications products

>> Reviews of OC and OCS
>> Microsoft press release: Unified Communications vision