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.
Tag: web 2.0
For many, social media marketing, blogging, and instant messaging all go hand-in-hand. They are all part of what has been coined “Web 2.0”. Web 2.0, according to Wikipedia, is the ‘next generation’ of internet. This includes social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, along with blogging (like this blog and http://hostedinstantmessaging.com) and video sharing sites like You Tube. Wikipedia also defines Web 2.0 as ‘hosted applications’ which is exactly what hosted instant messaging is.
Combing you and your organization’s online communication image and efforts with Web 2.0 media is easier than many people think. All it takes is time to set up profiles. There is usually no cost for social networking profiles and many hosted instant messaging programs cost very little.
The most important thing to remember about social networking profiles, blogs, and other online marketing and communication efforts is the fact that they must continue to be maintained. It isn’t enough that they are there; they must continue to be updated in order for potential customers and fans will continue to be reminded and kept up-to-date with their activities.
This is why I continue to update this blog and http://hostedinstantmessaging.com at least 3-4 times per week. I also maintain the twitter profile and the facebook page, mentioned above. These avenues of marketing are a great way to increase communication between you, your clients, and your employees.