Research and Markets


Printer Friendly

Printed from http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/316585


Instant Messaging (IM) - Evolving Into A Multimedia Hub


Description: This market report delivers in-depth analysis of the instant messaging (IM) market, and its ongoing development (interoperability, VoIP, mobility…) in both the consumer and business segments. IM has become a major market in terms of advertising for portals, traffic for mobile operators and licences for business application publishers.

- Instant messaging began to develop in the late 1990s as a system for sending person-to-person text messages in real time.
- But IM now goes well beyond its initial role, and has become a strategic multimedia hub for promoting other services. And so it finds itself at the heart of a battle between ISPs and web portals (and particularly between the portals themselves: MSN, Yahoo!, AOL, QQ, etc…) and, more recently, attracting a great many new entrants.
- Popularised by consumers chatting in real time over their computers, IM is now becoming increasingly common on mobile devices, boasting a still largely untapped potential.
- In Europe and in China, fixed and mobile operators have often preferred to design their own proprietary tools, with only very relative success. In South Korea and the United States, on the other hand, operators work in tandem with the leading portals, leveraging their brand names and their user communities, and appear to be obtaining better results.
- Instant messaging has also made its way into the business world. It is a market that obeys a very different logic, more akin to the world of computing as operated by its leaders, Microsoft and IBM. Presence enables new applications, integrated into existing ones, and built around collaboration and contextualisation.

IM already a killer app on PC
Since its inception in 1996, with the launch of ICQ, instant messaging has become one of the most popular applications on the fixed web. It has in fact become a mass market, with over 10 billion messages being exchanged every day, and involving close to one in two web users in developed countries, in North America, Europe and Asia. IM is gradually nearing a relative saturation point in these countries, while still enjoying a steady rise in other countries, such as China.
- All internet users are involved in the phenomenon, regardless of sex, education or socio economic status. Only the type of connection (broadband makes its use easier because of a lack of time constraints) and users' age create any real distinction.
- The youngest Netizens, and teenagers in particular, are the most avid IM users, and often use it more than e-mail or their mobile phones to communicate with each other, in addition to taking advantage en masse of some of the newest features available.
- In Europe, the average time spent using an IM tool already exceeded three hours a month, and five hours a month for users in the US, in 2004. Many youngsters chat over IM every day.

IM has evolved into a role of remote control or multimedia hub
Drawing on its innovative features, such as presence management (buddies online), IM has been enhanced with a host of services that are very popular with users, built around communication (file exchange, PC-to-PC and PC-to-phone voice calls, webconferencing) and personalization (emoticons, avatars, skins).
- IM distinguishes itself from other communication tools thanks to its multitasking nature, allowing users to engage in simultaneous activities, both on their computer (web browsing, gaming…) and off (talking on the phone, watching TV…).
- Portals are taking advantage of this convergent tool to promote their other services (webmail, blogs, content…), thanks to tabbing systems. The latest addition to the line-up is a built-in search engine.
- IM is also gradually being incorporated into websites, and community sites in particular (dating, online gaming, social networking) and could find its way into the TV of the future.


Contents: 1. Executive summary

2. Basics of IM
2.1. Definition
2.2. Evolution of features
2.3. Club effect
2.4. Operating architecture
2.4.1. "Client – server" model
2.4.2. "P2P hybrid" model

3. Fixed IM consumer market
3.1. Market overview
3.2. Main characteristics of offers
3.2.1. Product features
3.2.2. Price
3.2.3. Other elements
3.3. Use and behavior patterns
3.3.1. IM in France
3.3.2. IM in the United States
3.3.3. IM in South Korea
3.4. Competitive structure/Ecosystem
3.4.1. Global overview
3.4.2. IM of major portals
3.4.3. MSN
3.4.4. Yahoo!
3.4.5. AOL
3.4.6. ISP IM strategy
3.4.7. New players: Skype, Google and community portals
3.4.8. Multi-protocol clients
3.5. Challenges and perspectives
3.5.1. Integration with the Web and other media
3.5.2. Interoperability of fixed IM services
3.5.3. The battle of portals for multimedia
3.5.4. Voice over IP on IM
3.5.5. SPIM and security

4. Mobile IM consumer market
4.1. Fixed to mobile transition
4.1.1. Message streams
4.1.2. Application
4.1.3. IMPS protocol
4.1.4. Push-to-Talk
4.2. Main characteristics
4.2.1. Product features
4.2.2. Invoicing/rates
4.2.3. Other elements
4.3. Use and behavior patterns
4.3.1. Mobile IM in France
4.3.2. Mobile IM in the United States
4.4. Mobile IM's ecosystem
4.4.1. Fixed Internet portals
4.4.2. Mobile operators
4.4.3. Equipment manufacturers: mobile infrastructure and devices
4.4.4. Specialized software vendors
4.5. Challenges and perspectives
4.5.1. Development of mobile IM via portals
4.5.2. Interoperability for mobile IM
4.5.3. Business model
4.5.4. New services

5. Instant messaging in business
5.1. Use and behavior patterns
5.1.1. Market overview
5.1.2. IM penetration in the business sector
5.1.3. Uses of IM in business
5.2. Competitive structure
5.2.1. Market overview
5.2.2. Consumer portals
5.2.3. Microsoft
5.2.4. IBM
5.2.5. Jabber
5.2.6. Groupware: alternative offers
5.2.7. Additional solutions
5.2.8. Specific solutions
5.2.9. Mobile solutions
5.3. Challenges and perspectives
5.3.1. Implementing IM in business
5.3.2. Adding presence to business applications

6. Annex
6.1. Some major events during the first semester of 2005
6.2. Technical elements

List of tables
Table 1: Comparison of instant messaging for consumer market
Table 2: Penetration of instant messaging in the United States in 2004 according to age
Table 3: IM functions deemed the most important
Table 4: Use of alternative functions
Table 5: Time spent on IM applications in the United States in 2004
Table 6: Multi-task applications
Table 7: Primary IM providers in the United States in 2004
Table 8: IM users in the United States in 2004
Table 9: Primary IM and chat providers in Europe in 2004
Table 10: ISP's IM offers in Asia, Europe and the United States
Table 11: Interoperability between primary clients and consumer market instant messaging
Table 12: Examples of mobile IM services invoiced on the basis of SMS
Table 13: Examples of mobile IM services invoiced on the basis of a mobile service
Table 14: Attraction of mobile services according to age
Table 15: Main places for mobile IM use
Table 16: Mobile IM offers from North American operators
Table 17: Mobile IM offers from Western Europe
Table 18: Penetration rate for horizontal applications according to activity sector in France for SME
Table 19: SWOT analysis matrix for instant messaging in enterprises

List of figures
Figure 1: Instant messaging compared with other communication applications
Figure 2: Client/server model
Figure 3: "P2P hybrid" model
Figure 4: Daily IM message traffic in the world (in billion)
Figure 5: Examples of avatars and possibilities for personalization
Figure 6: Example of integrated functions in IM
Figure 7: Rate of use for Internet services in France
Figure 8: Penetration of instant messaging in France in 2004 according to age
Figure 9: Level of use for instant messaging in the United States
Figure 10: Example of multi-task use
Figure 11: Preferred way of communication among teenage Americans
Figure 12: File exchange via instant messaging for teenagers and adults in the United States
Figure 13: Example of instant messaging terminal
Figure 14: Examples of personalization in South Korea
Figure 15: IM's competitive landscape
Figure 16: Primary IM providers in South Korea in 2005
Figure 17: Main players in instant messaging for consumer market Internet
Figure 18: Example of personalized advertising
Figure 19: Parts of the IM market in France since mid 2004
Figure 20: Yahoo! Messenger Interface
Figure 21: Example of IM use with the radio
Figure 22: ICQ Interface
Figure 23: AIM "TRITON" Prototype
Figure 24: " BT Communicator" Interface
Figure 25: iChat Solution
Figure 26: Example of IM integration on a Web page
Figure 27: IM application on television
Figure 28: Example of a toolbar as a multimedia hub
Figure 29: Diagram of IMPS protocol
Figure 30: Example of mobile IM solution via client software
Figure 31: Level of use and interest for specific mobile services
Figure 32: Interest and use of mobile IM in France in 2004
Figure 33: Mobile IM ecosystem
Figure 34: Partial transformation of the SMS economy
Figure 35: Example of mobile IM use as a multimedia hub
Figure 36: Professional IM use in companies in the United States in 2005
Figure 37: Distribution of IM use at work/home for the United States
Figure 38: Use of instant messaging in business
Figure 39: Rate of instant message exchange archiving in business early 2004
Figure 40: Position for professional IM players
Figure 41: Microsoft's IM strategy
Figure 42: Diagram 47=Word and Office Communicator
Figure 43: Integrating presence in Outlook
Figure 44: Detecting presence in Lotus Domino 7
Figure 45: Example of integration in the distribution sector
Figure 46: Example for the financial reporting sector
Figure 47: IM communication application use
Figure 48: Jabber Architecture
Figure 49: Groupwise Messenger Interface
Figure 50: Sun Java System Instant Messaging client Interface
Figure 51: Development of instant messaging in businesses
Figure 52: Example of IM contextualization

List of boxes
Box 1: China's situation
Box 2: IMVU
Box 3: MSN UK and Shrek 2
Box 4: Orange's and SFR's mobile IM are interoperable
Box 5: The example of the Radianz Company
Box 6: The example of the Arcelor Company





Ordering: Order Online - visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/316585

Order by Fax - using the order form below

Order By Post - print the order form below and send to

Research and Markets,
Guinness Centre,
Taylors Lane,
Dublin 8,
Ireland.


Research and Markets Page 1 of 2
Printed 27/11/2009 14:52:14
Fax Order Form
To place an order via fax simply print this form, fill in the information below and fax the completed form to
646-607-1907 (from USA) or +353 1 6849977 (from Rest of World). If you have any questions please email help@researchandmarkets.net

Order information
Please verify that the product information is correct and select the format you require.
Product Name:
Instant Messaging (IM) - Evolving Into A Multimedia Hub
Web Address:
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/316585
Office Code:
OC8HJNPOUMUXU

Report formats
Please enter the quantity of the report format you require.

Format Quantity Price
Electronic (PDF) - Single User €1,500.00



Contact information
Please enter all the information below in BLOCK CAPITALS.

First Name:   Last Name:  
Email Address:
Job Title:
Organisation:
Address:
City:
Postal/Zip Code:
Country:
Phone Number:
Fax Number:


Please fax this form to:
(646) 607-1907 or (646) 964-6609 (from USA)
+353-1-481-1716 or +353-1-653-1571 (from Rest of World)
Research and Markets Page 2 of 2
Printed 27/11/2009 14:52:14

Payment information

Please indicate the payment method you would like to use by selecting the appropriate box.

 Pay by Credit Card:
American Express
Diners Club
Master Card
Visa
Cardholder's Name:
Cardholder's Signature:
Expiry Date: /
Card Number:
CVV Security Code:
Issue Date: /   (Diners Club only)


 Pay by Check:
Please post the check, accompanied by this form, to:

Research and Markets,
Guinness Centre,
Taylors Lane,
Dublin 8,
Ireland.


 Pay by Wire Transfer:
Please transfer funds to:

Account number: 83313083
Sort code: 98-53-30
Swift code: ULSBIE2D
IBAN number: IE78ULSB98533083313083
Bank Address: Ulster Bank,
27-35 Main St,
Blackrock,
Co. Dublin,
Ireland.
If you have a Marketing Code please enter it below:
Marketing Code:


Please note that by ordering from Research and Markets you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions at http://www.researchandmarkets.com/info/terms.asp

Please fax this form to:
(646) 607-1907 or (646) 964-6609 (from USA)
+353-1-481-1716 or +353-1-653-1571 (from Rest of World)