instant messaging Last modified: Friday, May 14, 2004
Abbreviated IM, a type of communications service that enables you to create a kind of private chat room with another individual in order to communicate in real time over the Internet, analagous to a telephone conversation but using text-based, not voice-based, communication. Typically, the instant messaging system alerts you whenever somebody on your private list is online. You can then initiate a chat session with that particular individual. See the page of text messaging abbreviations in the Quick Reference section of Webopedia.
•E-mail this definition to a colleague• For internet.com pages about instant messaging . Also check out the following links! Choosing an Instant Messaging System  A series of articles covering the fundamentals of enterprise instant messaging and what you need to know as an IT decision-maker. Instant Messaging Planet  Complete coverage of the business opportunities emerging from IM including case studies, security updates, and infrastructure issues. Instant Messaging Server Overview  Fuzzy on the fundamentals of IM? This overview explains the pros and cons of taking what was initially designed as a personal app and implementing it across the enterprise. AOL Instant Messenger Home page for AOL's Instant Messenger (AIM) system. You can download the free AIM software from here. Instant Messaging Can Usher in Instant Problems IT managers are being warned that IM is fast becoming a gateway for more attacks on the corporate network. Yahoo! Messenger Home page for Yahoo!'s instant messaging system called Yahoo! Messenger. You can download the free software from here.	Business Computing Chat chat e-mail finger ICQ jabber Multimedia Message Service presence real time SIMPLE SMS spim store and forward text messaging XMPP Give Us Your Feedback Shopping instant messaging Products Compare Products,Prices and Stores Shop by Category: Cellular Phones 56 Model Matches Web Cameras 29 Model Matches Software 23 Store Offers Toys 10 Store Offers