September 1999

BY Tom Keating

If you haven’t heard of AOL Instant Messenger or ICQ, please speak up! …Any time now… [Silence, save for the chirping of a lone cricket.] All right, that confirms what I suspected — most of you already know about these two very popular “buddy list” utilities. For all I know, you may have downloaded them already. (If not, you can download them for free at www.aol.com/aim/home.html and www.icq.com.)

For those of you who are unfamiliar with these two programs (but too shy to admit it), here’s a quick description: They’re essentially text messaging utilities with a little something special — while they’re running, they allow you to know who is online. Each person who uses ICQ or AOL Instant Messenger has their own personal buddy list of family, friends, and even co-workers, and this list can be used to keep track of who amongst the listed is connected to the Internet. And, from these buddy list programs, you can send what are called instant messages, or even arrange a “real-time” text-based chat.

So what does this have to do with CTI, you ask? Plenty! But before I divulge the connection between CTI and instant messaging, I need to give a little backgrounder on CTI.

ALL TOGETHER NOW
As we all know (or should know, by now), CTI covers everything from PC-PBXs, CTI middleware, voice/data switches, CTI/switch links, unified messaging, and more. Essentially, anything that integrates computers with telephony equipment is, by definition, “computer-telephony integration.” Hence, our favorite acronym … CTI.

But even with a definition of CTI firmly in your hand, it may not be clear to you why instant messaging has anything to do with CTI. And, as instant messaging stands today, you would be correct in stating that the two have very little to do with each other.

However, what I am talking about is the instant messaging of the future, which may be upon us very soon indeed — within the next couple of years. I can envision buddy list programs embedded into everything, including PDAs (such as the PalmPilot), Windows CE, and even your next phone system! In fact, this trend is already underway. I recently read an article, which reported a version of ICQ exists for the PalmPilot and Windows CE devices. (I should note, however, that not one of the PalmPilot users in our office were aware of this development.)

Now, here’s where things get a bit complex. While all the belly-bumping between Microsoft, Yahoo!, and AOL in July/August was hard to miss (these are big bellies, after all), the reasons behind the conflict may remain obscure. Let’s review.
Both Microsoft and Yahoo! for all intents and purposes “hacked” into AOL’s proprietary AIM (AOL’s Instant Messenger) code to allow users of the Microsoft Messenger program access to AOL’s 80 million user list. AOL wasn’t too happy about that, so AOL changed the code to block Microsoft and Yahoo! from adding AOL subscribers to their buddy lists. Yahoo! decided to retreat to the sidelines, while Microsoft continued to modify their instant messenger program to gain access to AOL’s subscribers.

BREAKING INTO THE OPEN
AOL certainly had good reason to be upset. After all, they did spend $300 million last year to buy ICQ from an Israeli company. AOL wasn’t buying ICQ’s instant messaging technology, since the Internet behemoth already has its own. Rather AOL was buying ICQ’s user list to incorporate into its own, making the largest buddy list database on the Internet.

A smart move? Maybe. It is possible, though, that AOL jumped the gun to have spent so much money for a database of buddy list names. It may be that instant messaging will follow the precedent set by e-mail.

In the past, different corporations had their own internal proprietary e-mail systems, and these systems lacked any means of exchanging e-mail with the outside world. The Internet and standards for e-mail (POP3, SMTP, MIME, etc.) changed all that, and soon afterward e-mail usage exploded worldwide!

I think it’s time we followed suit in the area of instant messaging. An open standard should be put in place to further the proliferation of instant messaging. Naturally, such a move would frustrate anyone hoping to create a captive community of instant messaging users.

SWEET, SWEET IRONY
A standards group (part of the IETF) in charge of trying to come up with an “open” instant messaging standard wrote a letter, along with Microsoft, to AOL chairman Steve Case pleading with the online giant to be part of any future “open” instant messaging standards. Microsoft pleading with another corporation to drop proprietary methods and adopt open standards is certainly redolent of irony, isn’t it?

Just why does Microsoft care so much about people “text chatting” among buddies? Such text chatting has grown so popular, it’s impossible to ignore. AOL’s Instant Messenger and ICQ account for about 750 million messages each day. It’s no wonder Microsoft and others are champing at the bit to have a piece of the action.

THE BUSINESS ANGLE
How might instant messaging affect business productivity? Would employees abuse the privilege, much the way they sometimes abuse Web browsing privileges? (I should point out that studies have demonstrated that frivolous Web browsing during working hours is already degrading employee productivity.) Wouldn’t the ability to “text chat” with anyone in the world provide employees yet another distraction with no commercial or business value?

While there may be the potential for abuse, there is also the potential for valid use. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain Microsoft’s interest. But what useful purpose could be fulfilled by instant messaging? I think I know. I believe that IM (instant messaging) will become a key business tool for business communications. Everything from communicating with telecommuters and branch offices, to initiating videoconferences and voice conferences will be performed via the IM program. As a business tool, the possibilities are endless. A call center agent can send you an instant message telling you that your order has a problem and to call them right away, or that your credit card number didn’t go through.

CTI MEETS INSTANT MESSAGING
How many times have you ignored your ringing telephone because you didn’t want to be interrupted by unimportant phone calls? Granted, you could use caller ID or ANI to identify who is calling, assuming you have the service (who does?). But even caller ID is useless if the caller is behind a PBX or calling from another location.

Now, imagine the capability where an important business associate can send a “special” instant message indicating that he is about to call your phone number. On his machine, the IM program integrates with Microsoft TAPI, which then communicates with his phone system to initiate an outbound call to your phone number, which is also stored in the buddy list database. Not only will you know that this person is about to call you, but via TAPI, DDE, or some other method, you can have your contact manager give a screen-pop with the caller’s information. And, unlike caller ID, it doesn’t matter where the business associate calls from, since he logs on to the instant messaging database across the Internet using the same buddy name.

Of course, if someone else also calls in at the same time or just before the business associate, you might take the call expecting the business associate and get someone else. (All right, so my idea isn’t exactly flawless.) However, with PBXs converging with data networks (witness the voice/data switch), it is entirely possible to get around this flaw. Since both instant messaging programs and voice/data switches are “IP aware,” it is not unreasonable to think that some sort of integration between these two technologies might be possible.

Eureka! Yet another instance of computer-telephony integration (CTI)! In fact, many analysts predict that eventually all phone networks and devices will become “IP aware” in the near future. Once this does happen, the instant messaging graphical user interface just might replace the telephone for initiating a voice call. I firmly believe that soon everyone will have a buddy name which will become as prevalent on business cards as e-mail addresses are today.

Tom Keating is chief technical officer and executive technology editor for TMC. He welcomes your feedback. To contact him, send your e-mail to Tom Keating .