Tags: Microsoft

Google endorses open source XMPP with Google Talk

Google Talk was the talking point this week. It was long speculated about a possible web browser and an instant messaging client from the world’s most popular search engine after they showed interest in directly competing with Microsoft’s MSN and Yahoo! in various similar fields. The web browser never came, but the company indeed launched its instant messenger Google Talk this week.

This was a bit surprising considering Google already has an instant messaging solution in Google Hello, which they acquired while purchasing Picasa. Interestingly, instead of making their own proprietary standard for their instant messenger, Google has decided to go open source. They are using the open IM protocol XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol). This is interesting because all of its competition AOL’s AIM and ICQ, MSN Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger are closed in their protocols.

However, with Google using this open standard… it just might be the thing required by the online community to reach the goal of common interoperability. The ability to talk to all the buddies online from a single application. If Google is open to it, so might be the competition someday. In fact, Google allows the users to connect to its services from third party applications which is not so with its competing services.

Although, Google is targeting web users and simple consumers for their Google Talk. But, the open source nature of the concept would invite developers to add more glamour to it. Third party applications can be made on it offering more and better facilities. This makes the Google’s job easier to reach a far more rich audience base.