What is the difference between the Collabrix IM component and public IM products, like MSN and AOL?
Public IM products are peer-to-peer architecture. They use a server to deliver presence awareness – who’s available – but the moment a conversation is started, the conversation is direct between the users. The conversation does not pass through a server, and therefore no transcript is captured. None of the public IM products are secure; meaning anyone with one of at least a dozen free tools can eavesdrop on conversations. None of the consumer-based products allow users to create ad-hoc teams – a natural occurrence of the way people work. None of the consumer products are permission-based. The Collabrix IM component does not allow you to add an IM contact to your list/teams unless the other person grants permission.
