Instant Messaging of future

As technology becomes main agent for human interaction nowadays, more and more people connecting to each other indirectly, could via voice, text and video. The  way is texting via instant messaging (IM).

When SMS and voice communication is so yesterday, im offer more attractive and add value to the communication. The killer features is group messaging and ability to attach rich media file into the chat. Other high demanded feature such as share location, virtual activity also available depend on protocol and device.

There are so many IM protocol currently available. From the legendaries ICQ, IRC from the first dot-com booming during new millennia. Then internet giant enters the competition for their users such as Yahoo with Y!msgr, Google with Gtalk, Microsoft/Hotmail with Live (recently acquired Skype), Facebook Chat, AOL and many more that has no significant user. The most recent is smartphone/service vendor to push their own protocol. There are RIM with Blackberry Messenger, Nokia with Ovi chat,  Whatsapp, some local brand like Nexian Messenger and Esia Messenger. 

Remember old day where we can only send SMS within same operator/network, operator never thought the SMS could be one of their revenue machine. But when SMS inter-operator is available, instantly SMS become ultimate revenue generator.  Imagine internet with no inter-networking capability, telephone with no inter-operator switching,  email can only send to same domain user, closed group IM has no future, unless it can communicate thru all protocols/provider.

So IM service provider should start collaborate the chatting inter-operates across protocol. Some already started with limited partners, like Ovi can talk to Gtalk, Y!msgr to MSN (maybe with Skype too?), but still not as one global inter-protocol IM. Only by all-connected protocol, IM will be considered important way to socialize at least for years to come. No more one ID for every protocol if we want to chat with people in the group.