Ya'll that complain about networks that no one uses aren't thinking far enough ahead.

With what Google has done is they are the first *major* player to allow free, unencumbered access to their network from any party. It's abolutely free to make phone calls, IM, or setup a network now. No other provider has done this.

Yes there was Jabber before google.
Yes MSN and AOL and yahoo allow calls or chats, but not the reverse without hassle. Internetwork talking requires gateway services that are expensive and a hassle.

Why is this good?

Say you are a small business tech shop. You setup a gateway internal to your network, and have your clients use whatever jabber compliant IM service they want to communicate with you. Now network all those lines together with other clients and vendors. No more POTS lines. No more Federal access charges. No more getting stuck with one vendor for basic voice or IM service. Truly the best service will win out in this situation.

I will readily admit that google talk doesn't have the features that the other IM networks do, but their open attitude is good for the planet and the future.

Microsoft requires Live Communication services to work like Googles. YOu are looking at at least a $5000 investment just to get that up and running, no small business wants to invest in that just for IM/Voice.

With Google talk you can setup a jabber server internally and have any one of hundreds of clients, including google talk, proxy through that. It is scalable to thousands. It's compatible with softphones so you don't even need phones on your desk anymore.

Exciting. One of the most significant stories yet in 2006. Needs more press. (and no I'm not affiliated with google, and I don't find everything they do to be fantastic, but this is outstanding!)

Don't forget: MSN and Trillian can use SIP. Yahoo and AIM are still behind on that one.

So, basically, they're opening to other networks that nobody use ??? Makes really good sense to me. (sarcasm)

This should have been done in the beginning. Thank you AOL for screwing all of us.

"Google on Tuesday announced it was opening up Google Talk to all other instant messaging networks that utilize the XMPP protocol, developed for Jabber."

You people do realise that Jabber offers transports which allow you to connect to the popular networks such as MSN, AIM, ICQ, Yahoo etc. That means that you can use jabber to connect to your MSN network AND connect to the Google network.

There's a reason Google was forced to include Trillian in Google Pack.

Cool....how useless. :D

Thanks for connecting Google Talk to networks that nobody cares about or uses.

I'm now dumber for reading this article.

you've said it for me...dumb&dumber(me:o)

WOW! THIS IS REALLY EXCITING!!!! They've added support to obscure networks that the vast majority of people will never use.

Oh boy! Now it can connect to 15 more users.
Much better than sharing with Yahoo, MSN, and AIM...

Chikka connections!!! Hello Philippines

awesome, i was looking forward to this. Google for the win!

Um... yeah, but what about AIM and Yahoo? I mean, what did they hire the GAIM guy for anyway?!

do I RECOGNIZE any of those? i think NOT.
OK, one.

Maybe connecting to Yahoo or..AOL?

Nah. too obvious.

This seems suspiciously like another non-announcement in the vein of, ah, Google Video.

If this fellow thinks connecting to something called Chikka is exciting, if it works with an IM people USE, his head might just blow up.

Guys, the idea of this is to create a standerd like e-mail is where they all can talk with each other, MSN, Yahoo and AOL are all closed networks and are never likely to get really high market share, what Google are doing is a great idea and it's a long time comming, if these networks, Jabber and SIP become more mainsream which theres a pretty good chance of that as they are both open, it will mean that it wont matter what messenger software you use, they'll all talk with each other in the same way phone calls do and e-mails do no matter what software you are using and it also means you only have to have one account not 3 or 4 like many do today.

This to me is a big plus.

LOL. I thought you said MSN, Yahoo, and AIM will never get high market share. LOL.

Ummm...they basically have ALL of the market share.

Lets put it another way, none of them, AOL, MSN, Yahoo, Skype and so on will likely never have big market sure on there own, they are all fragmented, what I'm talking about is one network that has something like 80%, 90% or more market sure, none of them above are ever likely to get that because they are closed networks and I doubt anyone wants a closed network to dominate, so it's likely that a open standerd will dominate in the long run, Jabber and SIP could do that.

Would you trust MSN, Yahoo, AOL or Skype to do, maintain and upgrade say the e-mail standerd over time?, I doubt many would, what we all want is a protocol where everyone can talk to everyone, for that it's likely to be a open standerd, now unless AOL, MSN, Yahoo or Skype was to open up there protocol, then it's unlikely they'll become that standerd.

Where all thses networks have millions of users, a open protocol could have a lot more on one network, just like e-mail uses the same protocol.

Another thing, the market share is devided up with Skype, MSN, AOL, Yahoo and so on, all locked in on there own network, a open protocol would mean the market share would be much higher in terms of how many people you can talk too.

Imaging like if Skype, Yahoo, MSN, AOL and so on was to use the same protocol, the combined market share would be much higher, this is something open protocols offer, it wouldn't matter if someone is on AOL or Yahoo, someone on say Skype or MSN will be able to talk to them all, with just one account not 4, thats what we need, it would make messenging more like e-mails or phone calls, where you don't think what network your on, you just e-mail or ring the number.