When it comes to instant messaging (IM), those companies involved in the financial securities industry must comply with requirements mandated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD).

More and more IM developers are coming to their rescue. Now, add Jabber Inc. to that list.

The Denver-based developer of extensible IM software, said its new Jabber Communications Platform (JCP) version 1.2 centrally logs all instant messaging traffic for organizations requiring a server-side record of all user conversations.

JCP is built around the XML-based Jabber open protocol, and delivers an engine on which service providers, enterprises, and software developers create custom messaging, voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) and other collaborative systems.

Besides logging for regulatory purposes, JCP 1.2 can also be used for general administrative logging and diagnostic purposes, officials said. Companies have the option of building their own archiving applications using Jabber XML output, or working with Jabber partners to customize an archiving application specific to their needs.

JCP Version 1.2 will be commercially available in February from Jabber, Inc.

Jabber also announced a partnership with Cupertino, Calif.-based Redmind Inc. to integrate the Redmind Genius Archive application with JCP, providing a full-featured SEC/NASD compliant archive, search and retrieval capability based on the data output of the Jabber server.

SEC and NASD regulations mandate that instant messages be treated like any other electronic messages in terms of how they must be retained, supervised and reviewed by brokerage firms (SEC Rule 17a-4; NASD 3010).

Genius Archive incorporates natural language processing technology that lets administrators locate specific conversation topics based on Jabber IM output.

"The integration with Jabber enables financial service companies to adhere to SEC/NASD regulations while enjoying the productivity increases from instant messaging," said Rahul Ballal, chief executive officer (CEO) of Redmind.

Jabber's investors include Webb Interactive Services Inc. and France Telecom.

Bob Woods is the managing editor of InstantMessagingPlanet.com.