What is Instant Messaging ?
Instant messages are short messages exchanged in real time using a familiar screen name or ID. With instant messaging, you can see who is online and available to chat, busy, and offline. AT&T offers a service compatible to AOL® Instant Messenger™ (AIM®) and Yahoo!® Messenger, and Windows Live™Messenger.
Abbreviated IM, a type of communications service that enables you to create a kind of private chat room with another individual in order to communicate in real time over the Internet, analogous to a telephone conversation but using text-based, not voice-based, communication. Typically, the instant messaging system alerts you whenever somebody on your private list is online. You can then initiate a chat session with that particular individual. Return to top.
Instant messaging application allows you to instantly communicate with people over the Internet. Instant Messaging differs from e-mail in that conversations are able to happen in realtime. Most services offer a presence information feature, indicating whether people on one’s list of contacts are currently online and available to chat. Instant Messaging is often also referred to as chat.
