In the news recently, it was announced that Facebook bought the company behind the popular chat software called WhatsApp. Chat clients, or instant messenger, programs are different from SMS messaging because they use the same internet data plan that you use for email and web browsing, so they don’t normally cost anything to use. A chat app normally allows the sharing of photos and video recordings with other people using the same app.
WhatsApp Messenger is a cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS. You can include many users in a single message stream, something called a “group”. WhatsApp Messenger is available for Android, BlackBerry, iPhone iOS, Nokia and Windows Phone and, yes, those phones can all message each other.
What other chat, or instant messaging, clients are there? Here is some information on a few popular choices.
Blackberry BBM
This is the native messenger software for Blackberry phones. However, with recent launches of native clients for iPhone and Android, the messaging service has been opened up to most phone users. Send and receive messages in seconds, chat one-to-one or let everybody know together. You can speak face-to-face over BBM Video and even share what’s on your screen. BBM allows group chats like WhatsApp.
IBM Sametime
Sametime is a client-server application and middleware platform that provides real-time, unified communications and collaboration for enterprises. Those capabilities go beyond instant messaging and include presence information, web conferencing, community collaboration, and telephony integration. Sametime Apps for smartphones can link into a corporate Sametime server to join instant chat sessions when away from the office. These apps are available for Android, iOS, Nokia Symbian and Windows phones but the user has to already have a Sametime account on a Sametime office server, which has to be configured to permit remote access.
Microsoft Lync
This is really an enterprise server instant messaging platform, which means it is more of use to support instant messaging within an office environment. It offers VOIP telephony and video conferencing too. Client software can be installed for Windows and Mac PCs. A Lync client is available for Android, iOS, and Windows phones but the user has to already have a Lync account on a Microsoft Lync office server, which has to be configured to permit remote access.
Skype
Skype started off as a way of making phone calls over VOIP, but there are now Skype clients for most phones and PCs that support instant messaging too. It also supports video calls and the sharing of photos between users. Skype clients can be found for Android, Blackberry, iOS, and Windows Phone devices.
Kik Messenger
Kik claims to have 100 million active users of its messenger app. There are add-ons to allow video sharing with other users. Kik Messenger has a built-in browser which is one of its most important features. The app is available on most Android, BlackBerry, iOS, Nokia Symbian, and Windows Phone devices.
Pidgin
Pidgin is open source and has clients available for most operating systems. It is big in the Linux world with over 3 million users. It can be used as a Sametime or Skype client because of the included supported message-services protocols. Pidgin is different in offering message encryption.