When IM, VoIP and presence converge
If you work in a corporate environment, chances are you are familiar with IBM Lotus Instant Messaging and Web Conferencing. If that doesn't ring a bell, try the solution's legacy name - Lotus Sametime.
It's a popular, industrial-strength instant messaging product that's been around for years.
Today, PC World reports that IBM has been testing an Application Programming Interface for Sametime that will link the utility to VoIP platforms. Availability should be by the end of this year.
The reason this is big news is because of a white-hot technology called presence. If you make a VoIP call,and your VoIP phone can indicate whether or not a certain user is on their phone at the same time, that's helpful information to know.
I predict that presence innovation won't stop there. It's only a matter of time before you'll see GPS information incorporated into high-end IM programs. That way, VoIP phone users will not only be able to see if other users in their group or buddy list are online, but where they arein what I call the "carbon-based" (as opposed to the "silicon-based") world.
Would you find that capability useful? Post a TalkBack and let us know.