Carl Tyler's Blog

1 - Regarding how it's used in the future, I wonder if IM will eventually supercede SMS on mobile devices.

2 - Whilst IM can certainly reduce the volume of email...the death of email is still someway off it at all. Some people like the asynchronous nature of email...gives 'em time to think, hide and do a few things that IM doesn't lent itself well to...use graphics in messages for example.

On the subject of SMS vs IM the operators in the UK at least aren't that keen on IM as it could seriously dent their SMS revenues, many remove MSN Messenger from Windows Mobile builds for example, but as with all things if users take to IMing on handsets, and some do today we could see a trend away from SMS. Just don't hold you're breath if you live in Blighty.

As an aside, I use MS Communicator on my HTC S620 and it's great.

3 - I'm not sure IM will supersede SMS ... at least not anytime soon.

There are two factors differentiating IM and SMS: (1) cost to the end-point, and (2) synchronous vs asynchronous delivery. Often, the latter difference is nearly zero as most SMS are delivered very quickly but there is not SLA to this effect. If SMS were ubiquitous for all end users, then the there is another reduction in differentiation.

I will admit, when I have nearly free SMS *and* a device that makes text messaging easy, I tend to use SMS as an extension of IM. The "cost" is the driving factor. When I changed cellular service and SMS was no longer "free", I stopped connecting to IM services from my SMS enabled phone. (I said "free" in quotes because when I have T-Mobile, I had a cheap text messaging package.)

4 - Not sure how many of you have kids or teenagers but I have two teenagers and they do not even use email. Granted, they are young and have no need for the tool yet but for them the real communication method is IM or SMS. If you look at the younger generation IM is an everyday method of communicating.

In my opinion email will become more of an out-of-region method of communicating with others to ensure that the client you are attempting communicate with gets you message as soon as his business day begins. Other than that IM is the best "Real Time" tool. With IM and the features available today I believe that awareness will revolutionize the way that people keep in touch.

5 - Threaded discussions that should have replaced e-mail in many business environments didn't happen, IM whist useful will never replace e-mail for the business users, as you cant deal with multiple IM's and do your work. So e-mail will live on forever .........

6 - Hi Carl, thanks for the plug! I don't think we'll ever see IM replace e-mail, but I think it has supplanted e-mail for many for the majority of their internal communications, and for external communications with known associates. I think e-mail is still the preferred approach when the parties who are communicating don't know each other very well, it's also important to use when you want an audit trail for important communications or when you need to send files. It's also much better for group communications.

IM might even be replacing phone calls more than it replaces e-mail. When i wrote that it was less invasive, I meant that it is much less of a interruption to get an IM as opposed to a phone call. I spend much more time collaborating with my colleagues via IM than I do via a telephone.

7 - (4) I wonder how much of this is about "which is better" vs personal preference ? If things are based on open standards or interoperable, it may be like Reggie points out - kids are using SMS and IM - but I seem them using the two methods interchangeably and in the best of situations for kids - they are even linked.

I took this in the "open standards direction ... http://thesalmonfarm.org/blog/2007/03/07/multi-protocol-im-clients-and-client-frameworks/

8 - poinient timing - a colique pinged me and the IM chat came around to collaborative tools and he said; "There is a great divide between the generations regarding how people communicate. My daughter, who is studying Computer Science at CSU, is part of the new generation. Instant messaging. Several chat group windows open at once. E-mail is old hat. Voicemail is old hat. Multitasking is in."

I think it is a a factor of "common denominator" - i.e. when a community of users only has telephones as the common medium, they default to telephones, when the commonality is email, then they use email. IM and SMS are similarly a factor of commonality.

9 - As part of a younger generation I think tools like GMail / Gtalk will be the future. With the ability to communicate real-time or through email and have it all get logged to the same place is a great feature.

MySpace and Facebook are also moving in the same direction with their communication tools.

I open GMail in the morning at the same time I open my work email, I communicate with all the other analysts who are my age through the Gtalk IM and then senior members through Email.