8 - The Future of IM

Abstract

This chapter discusses the future scope of instant messaging (IM), which is fast becoming a core communications engine for voice, peer-to-peer file transfers, secure messaging, applications sharing, person-to-machine communications, and machine-to-machine communications. The capabilities of application-to-application IM through web services is expected to truly leverage the advantages of real-time presence. The most interesting trend going forward is expected to be the migration from person-to-person IM to having presence capabilities pervasive on the network and the ability to be leveraged by any IM-enabled application. Services from pervasive networks are expected to enhance the way of life by providing the right information for the right context. Pervasive services could enable easy access to information from the workplace or home in a secure fashion and the pervasive network is expected to adapt to the kind of device used by the user has to connect to the network. The network is expected to be connected to the user's presence, enabling a connection with that user on the device of his or her choice.