News – Hosted IM World

Video Chat & IM= Lifesaver?

kchildress — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 02:34:22 +0000

I went and saw The Taking of Pelham 123 today with my boss and my co-workers (his treat), where we got to eat lunch in a private suite while watching the movie. It was so fun, and the movie is great. But, of course, I have found a way to tie in hosted instant messaging with a hit summer blockbuster.

One of the hostages, Gio, is shown early in the film talking to his girlfriend on a wireless connect with video chat on his laptop computer. Later, when the train is taken hostage, the laptop continues to stay on and serves as surveillance for the cops, as the criminals aren’t aware that it is on.

That got me thinking…. was the video chat feature a lifesaver for all of those hostages? Maybe I’m stretching it a little, but it certain made me think about all the different ways that technology can be used and how crucial and important it can be, even saving lives. There are news stories every day of people saving and helping other people through technology- in chat rooms, and other places.

Perhaps I will go into more detail about that in another post. There are so many good (and bad) stories of using technology to help others

Have a good weekend everyone!

Instant Info You Need To Know

kchildress — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:18:06 +0000

Besides providing a resource for instant communication, IM can always be used for several other purposes. Many companies use IM for question and answer sessions between employees, but IM can also be used to spread news and vital information that people need to know.

Due to the changing economy, there are more and more breaking news stories every day. Because some of these may be pertinent to your business or industry, you can use instant messaging to communicate relevant news links and other information that they may need to see.

For example, whenever I want to show one of my co-workers a great link, I just send it in an instant message. Then, this can spark conversation about the article that may give us some great ideas for projects or how to develop an idea to make it stand out from the crowd.

I believe that staying up-to-date, with what is happening around the world and in your industry specifically, is the best way to stay ahead of the competition and make sure that your company thinks of things first. No matter what the industry, from carpet cleaning to wildlife conservation, it pays to stay abreast of current events and what’s happening that’s relevant to your company.

What’s New in IM

kchildress — Thu, 21 May 2009 00:43:29 +0000

The newest wave in hosted enterprise instant messaging- the ability to have a hosted IM client on your smartphone or blackberry. This is clearly the next logical step in total Web 2.0 integration, as taking technology mobile is a booming market right now. Consumers and businesspeople are expecting their mobile devices (like phones and PDAs) to be little computers that can basically do almost anything a full-size computer can do. This is because customers want a product that will allow them to still multi-task and still get things done on the go. A leading business email provider called Intermedia has introduced the first hosted enterprise instant messaging client platform for Blackberry. This allows employees to use their blackberry to chat remotely to other employees or clients that are using their computers to chat.
With full QWERTY keyboards on Blackberry phones and a lot of other models, it is now easier than ever to hold an IM chat conversation, create a document, or send an email. I know that personally, I would love to have a Hosted IM client on my iPhone (when I get one this fall) so I can chat and communication with others from my network, no matter what I am doing. I just got a new job that allows you to telecommute if needed, and being able to still chat with co-workers securely, even though I am not in the office, would be a great help.