Sun Java System Instant Messaging

Instant Messaging has a broad range of user-friendly features. These include:

• Chat or Instant Messaging for one-to-one or group messaging
• Availability or Presence to identify users, their availability and location
• Alerts to notify users of time-sensitive information, either in individual messages or as broadcasts to multiple users. Users can also specify routing of alerts received when offline
• Contact Lists to create and manage groups of contacts
• Polling for rapidly surveying a group
• File Transfers to allow users to share documents, graphics files, other media files, and web URLs
• Conference Rooms and Moderated Conferences for persistent, pre-established, private discussions
• News Channels to allow users to access published information--such as company announcements, project updates, or event notices on a subscription basis
• User Configurable Content to allow users to input presence information and to indicate the mood of a message with fonts, colors or emoticons
• User access controls for users to control over who can "see" and communicate with them
• Calendar pop-up reminders for users to receive real-time notification of upcoming calendar events through integration with Sun Java System Calendar Server
• Message Archiving for keyword search and retrieval of message transcripts, leveraging the search capabilities of typical email clients as well as the search component of the Sun Java System Portal Server. Archiving provides institutions in the financial and healthcare industry the tools to comply with industry regulations
• Secure remote access for access to instant messaging and presence services from any browser inside or outside a corporate firewall
• Multiple Client Support to allow users to standardize on their favorite XMPP compliant client or to use a variety of supported clients including Sun Convergence, the AJAX Web 2.0 client that integrates email, calendar, and address book with chat and presence
• VoIP support for converting a users chat session into a live voice call over the internet
• Mobile Instant Messaging to enable mobile users to chat with other mobile users or desktop users

Instant Messaging has a broad range of system admin-level features. These include:

• Ease of installation and administration to allow for both rapid deployment and lower total cost of ownership
• Simple server-to-server configuration to facilitate the rapid deployment of distributed servers across and organization's data centers
• Allow and deny rules to allow administrators to control the functionality that users can access
• Logging for storage of chat and conference transcripts on the server
• Auditing of message transcripts is possible through the message archiving feature
• Spam and virus protection is provided through a message conversion API that enables scanning and filtering of message content and attachments

Instant Messaging has a broad range of features for developers. These include:

• Open standards support such as XMPP, HTML, Java technology, IMPS, Jingle, and TCP/IP to facilitate integration with other software applications and instant messaging networks. Other industry standards may be supported to further the interoperability of instant messaging and presence across the Internet
• Published APIs enable developers to extend and enhance communications and collaboration features, security and authentication mechanisms, and user interfaces
• Platform independence provides the flexibility to deploy both the Sun Java System Instant Messaging Server and Sun Java System Instant Messenger on multiple operating systems including Solaris, Linux, Windows (client only) and Mac OS (client only)

Yes, it is. For instance:

• Multiple authentication mechanisms and granular access policies ensure that users are properly identified and authorized
• Communication is secured through client-to-server and server-to-server SSL support
• Instant Messaging supports privacy profiles, buddy list authorization, and instant message traffic blocking to restrict presence and instant messaging communications access to non-authorized users
• For additional security outside the corporate firewall, integration with the Sun Java System Portal Server, Secure Remote Access enables remote users to communicate and collaborate over a virtual private network (VPN)
• Roles-based and policy-based administration is used to define user and administrator roles as well as the policies applied to those roles. Policies may be used to define the features available to users
• Secure archiving and retrieval ensures that only authorized users have access to archived instant messaging communications

Instant Messaging provides a number of business benefits, including:

• Offering executives peace-of-mind with a secure, real-time communications environment
• Enabling stronger, more efficient relationships among employees, partners and customers
• Increasing productivity and satisfaction for employees, partners and customers
• Leveraging portal features for a richer collaboration environment
• Integrating with other Sun Java System communications products to enhance the collaborative environment and leverage software investments

Instant Messaging provides a number of IT benefits:

• Provides a modular, scalable architecture with message-routing multiplexors
• Supports multiple and diverse platforms through Java technology
• Supports open standards for ease of integration and future-proofing
• Provides an extensible platform with multiple APIs

Although first known for consumer chat services, instant messaging has rapidly entered the enterprise with a variety of business uses. Using the free IM services poses numerous problems for corporate IT departments; these services are not controlled by IT departments but are managed by third-parties. As free services are not integrated with corporate directories, users cannot easily identify and authenticate other users, creating the risk of impersonation.

Equally important, messages travel over the public Internet, creating security concerns for the communication of sensitive information. Business users transmitting corporate information over free IM services could be exposed to message interception or virus transmission, putting corporate systems and information at risk. Enterprises are now replacing the use of consumer instant messaging services with secure instant messaging products deployed within the corporate environment.

Sun Java System Instant Messaging allows IT to control the namespace (or corporate directory), provides SSL encryption to protect information, and provides administrative features to control end-user access and functionality. Additionally, a message conversion API allows for integration with 3rd party content, filtering software for spam and virus protection.

Yes, it can. Sun Java System Instant Messaging provides a flexible archiving solution that consists of out-of-the-box archive providers like the email and portal archive providers, as well as a programmatic interface that enables developers to create custom archive providers. For example, Sun Java System Instant Messaging leverages the archive and search capabilities of the Sun Java System Portal Server to archive instant messaging communications. The type of communication that can be archived may be controlled by the administrator and normally includes chat, conference communications, alerts, polls, and news messages.

The result of a search of instant messaging communications is presented in a logical, organized format that preserves the context of the message that is archived. For example, a search on a keyword from a private chat between two individuals returns the entire conversation from beginning to end; returning the entire conversation is much more effective and useful than just returning the sentence where the keyword was used. Additionally, a search on a keyword from a poll returns poll results that look like actual final poll results rather than a collection of individual data points. Archive and search employs document-level security that may be used to prevent unauthorized persons from viewing archived data.

The email archive provider leverages the existing store and archive capabilities of traditional messaging systems as well as the search capabilities of existing email clients. With the email archive provider enabled, IM communications of participants will be issued as email messages to each user participating in the conversation, poll, or other form of communication. Using this technique, each participant can retain a transcript of the IM conversation, and virtually any email client can be used to search and manage instant messages. When used in conjunction with Sun Java System Messaging Server, the email archive provider can take advantage of the wide range of features offered by the Java System Messaging Server message store, including:

• Flexible rules for aging and expiring messages
• Quota enforcement
• Integration with the industrial strength AXS-One Compliance Platform used for both compliance and operational archiving. With this solution, messages can be archived at different points during the email's life; for example, at delivery time or at expire time.