The Next Open Source Victory: Instant Messaging

While Microsoft and AOL were joined in an Instant Messaging (IM) "war" last Fall, the open source development community did what it does best: hacked together a working alternative that outdoes both rivals by doing what neither party seems to know how to do: work with everybody else for the benefit of not just the customer, but the whole marketplace.

The project is Jabber. Think of Jabber as the Linux of Instant Messaging. Then think of Jeramie Miller as the Linus Torvalds of Jabber. About two years ago, Miller became annoyed with the popular but inflexible and proprietary messaging systems from AOL and Mirabilis (since bought by AOL), and came up with the idea for an instant messaging system that would be open and able to do things the other systems could not, such as keep up with multiple clients running at once.

And, just as it went with Linux, a devoted group of developers and users quickly joined in and got to work. Using XML, they created a "transport" between any and all IM platforms. Among other things. osOpinioncalls it "the end of instant messaging as we know it."

At the most practical level, this means users of AIM (AOL Instant Messaging), ICQ (AOL's own alternative) and Microsoft's new messaging system will all be reconciled by a new, independent, open source IM platform. It also means that Linux users, still ignored by AOL and Micorosoft, can not only participate in the Instant messaging movement, but clear its evolutionary path as well.

Looking ahead up that path are at least two commercial companies: Webb Interactive Services and Corel. Webb's president is Perry Evans, perhaps best known for creating Mapquest a few years back. Mr. Evans liked Jabber so much that he hired Mr. Miller, for about the same reasons Transmeta hired Mr. Torvalds. Webb and Corel are now partnering to include Jabber in Corel's new Linux distribution, among other things.

To join the jabber development conversation, or to participate any other way that you like, visit www.jabber.org.

— Doc Searls