Facebook Chat to add Jabber/XMPP support

[Jeff]

The recently launched Facebook Chat has made waves, mainly because Facebook has so many users, and it automatically appears without requiring a software download or installation of a widget. Now there are reports that Facebook is working on extending Facebook Chat with Jabber/XMPP support.

What do this mean to you? Well, the upside is that it will be easier for third-party developers to integrate their instant messaging program with Facebook Chat. For example, you could soon use AIM or Google Talk to see and chat with your Facebook contacts. Conversely, adding Jabber/XMPP support to Facebook Chat may also allow the reverse; you could potentially contact your friends on Google Chat (as one example) from Facebook Chat.

Currently, Facebook Chat works when you are on the Facebook site. Navigate away and you go offline -- at least as far as your Facebook friends are concerned. Allowing third party IM programs to hook into Facebook Chat would make it possible to stay "signed in" and available to Facebook Chat even when your browser is closed.

One third-party instant messenger has already cracked the Facebook Chat nut. Digsby already has integrated Facebook Chat with their multi-network IM program, so we know that it's technologically feasible.

You can read more about their plans from the Facebook developer's blog.

[David]

Aww, and all that work the Digsby developers put into getting it into their client ASAP.

Sounds great though, this is exactly the type of thing XMPP is good for.