Get ready for Google Talk

[Jeff]

August 23 UPDATE: Now connected to talk.google.com! Click here for the details.

As previously reported here and in the New York Times, Google is preparing to announce their entry into the instant messaging market this Wednesday. Now the LA Times reports the name of the new IM program.

According to people who have seen the service, Google Talk will support voice in addition to standard text-based instant messaging. This should be no suprise to most users. All of the major instant messaging programs have long included voice chat features, and AIM, MSN and Yahoo have all recently been upgraded to include support for PC-to-PC VoIP -- and in some cases even PC-to-Phone VoIP services.

According to the LA Times, "...One source said Google intends to release the new product Wednesday. Another source did not know when Google planned to release Google Talk, but said the company has been testing the service for at least a month.

"A Google spokeswoman said Monday that the company planned to release a new product later this week. Google representatives could not be reached late Monday."

A user at Neowin attempted to connect to talk.google.com using Trillian Pro and the Jabber connector. He got a response from the server, but could not authenticate. This supports long-standing speculation that Google's entry to the IM world would be based on the Jabber protocol.

Jabber, for those who aren't familiar, uses a server to connect users. Cross-network compatibility is possible by installing connectors on the server, allowing users to use a Jabber-based IM client to chat using existing IM networks and accounts, including AIM, ICQ, MSN and Yahoo! Jabber is an open-source project that supports a wide range of clients.

The question most analysts are asking is whether Google get users to switch to Google Talk. Most casual IM users tend to favor whatever program most of their friends use. For most teens and college students in the U.S., that is AOL Instant Messenger (AIM).

According to research firm ComScore Media Metrix, AIM currently leads the instant messaging pack with 41.6 million U.S. users in July. Yahoo! Messenger followed with 19.1 million users, and Microsoft's MSN Messenger with 14.1 million.

But if anyone can get people to switch, Google can. Witness the quick rise to glory for Gmail. Everyone already had an email account, yet everyone seemed to need a Gmail account. Granted, email is different from IM, in that it's generally interoperable by default. That's where the Jabber protocol makes such good sense.

I think Google Talk will set the IM world ablaze, and finally move us one giant step closer to interoperability.

[Jeff]

Get the goods on Google Talk, in our new Google Talk forum.

[mysqlrocks]

Here is a useful site for getting help on Google Talk:
http://www.gtalkhelp.com