Today's highlights: Google Talk Launches into Beta; Skype Opens IM to Third Parties; MailTags 1.0; ClairMail Funding;
- Google released the beta of Google Talk, its new Jabber-based instant messaging service. A Windows XP and 2000 IM client is offered, although Mac and Linux users can connects using third-party IM clients, such as iChat on the Mac OS X. Google auto-loads Gmail contacts as buddies, and the Google Talk client will notify users of new Gmail email. Includes a voice-over-IP service. Google's dream: a unified, abuse-free instant messaging network. Google Talk, with coverage at ComputerWorld, eWeek, InformationWeek, and NewScientist
- Skype opened its presence and IM services to third parties, allowing developers to integrate Skype presence and IM into Web sites and applications. InfoWorld and InfoWorld (again)
- Indev released Version 1.0 of MailTags, its add-in for Apple's Mail 2.0 email client in Mac OS X Tiger. Enables users to add metadata to email messages, thereby moving beyond the existing smart mailbox idea. Users can add comments to messages, project or category names, due dates, and priorities. MailTags metadata is available to the Spotlight search engine in Tiger. Indev
- ClairMail announced Series A funding of $8.3 million, for the extension of its sales and marketing efforts for its mobile enterprise access solutions. It says that it offers the "first sensible approach to mobile application access". Works with existing devices from RIM (BlackBerry), Palm (Treo), Good Technology, and otheres. MarketWire
This Briefing was written by Michael Sampson, of Shared Spaces Research & Consulting Ltd. Email or IM Michael to discuss any of these items further.
Comments