Enterprise instant messaging (IM) specialist IMlogic Inc. said it planned to demonstrate a new product on Monday that allows developers to build IM capabilities into their applications, the company said.
The product, called IM Linkage, allows presence and messaging capabilities from multiple IM networks to be integrated with J2EE (Java 2 Enterprise Edition), Microsoft Corp. .Net or Web services-based applications, said Jon Sakoda, vice-president of products at IMlogic in Boston.
It has been a challenge for developers to add IM capabilities to their applications because the most popular IM networks are closed, according to Sakoda. IMlogic cooperated with all the major IM network operators, including Microsoft, Yahoo Inc. and America Online Inc., to make IM Linkage work, he said.
“This is the first time that you actually see certified programmatic access to these networks. Not just IM Logic doing work, but also the networks themselves doing work and providing flexible deployment,” he said.
Although IM Linkage is currently available only to select users in a special preview edition, it has already been used by Thomson Corp.’s Thomson Financial group and Pivot Solutions Inc. Both companies used the product to include presence information in their applications for the financial services market, according to IM Logic. General release of IM Linkage is planned for the end of the second quarter. Pricing will be announced then. IMlogic planned to show off IMlogic IM Linkage Preview Edition at the Demo conference in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Monday.