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.