Home › Forums › Archives › Instant Messaging › Other Instant Messengers › Instant Messaging no longer FREE??!!
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rustedtight.
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October 16, 2001 at 10:43 pm #8158
Jeff Hester
KeymasterThe news from the industry analyst Gartner Group regarding the high-adoption of instant messaging in English-speaking countries in the Asia-Pacific region wasn’t particularly surprising. Most instant messengers are designed and written for English or western languages that use the Roman alphabet.
What did catch my eye, however, was a little comment towards the end of the article.
Quote:quote:”Although most instant messaging services are currently offered for free, it is only a matter of time before they start becoming fee-based.”Yikes!
Currently, most IM products generate revenue through advertising (MSN, AIM, ICQ, Odigo). Others make money selling the server licenses (Jabber, Sametime). But fee-based instant messaging? Hmmm… Maybe it would fly for corporate users who demand additional security and reliability (and are willing to pay for it), but for the typical IM user, I don’t think a fee-based service will ever fly!
Or would it?
If I had to pay for each instant messaging network I connect to (currently over six different systems on a regular basis), I probably would drop all but one or two. And the ones that remain had better provide some really compelling service beyond what today’s instant messenger gives me.
Which begs the question. What would make it “worth it” to pay for instant messaging (if anything)?
Jeff Hester
BigBlueBall.comOctober 17, 2001 at 6:24 pm #69855rustedtight
MemberWhat? me worry?
Jabber.com,Inc. is ofcourse a business, also founding supporter of Jabber.org the open source project.
Supporting a group of guys n gals that develop yr base product for free makes a lot of sense.
However, as its open source it will always be free. Let the big guys charge for their over sized products, open source will and does give you interoperability now……. and its free…… and will remain so.
Gartner got it wrong……. again.Edited by – rustedtight on 10/17/2001 13:29:17
October 18, 2001 at 3:41 am #69854Fanatic
MemberThey say ya don’t get something for nothin’! The flip side of that is NO ONE pays somethin’ for nothin’. IM is just an easy way of chatting, and there are LOTS of alternatives!!
I would never pay for IM unless I got something more than just chat. I MIGHT consider paying a subscription that included rights to download MP3s or videos. I already pay Sony 10 bucks a month to play Everquest. I guess if everyone has their hot button.
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