Jabber Chats Up Gateway to IBM
Instant messaging software firm Jabber has outlined plans for an
XMPP-to-SIP Gateway that opens the door for interoperability with IBM's
Lotus IM product.
The Jabber move to connect with Big Blue's instant messenger comes less
than a week after Microsoft announced it
would open its enterprise-focused Live Communications Server 2005 (LCS 2005)
to chat networks run by rivals America Online and Yahoo
.
It signals increased momentum in the push for full IM interoperability, especially among enterprise-focused offerings.
Jabber said the XMPP-to-SIP server-to-server Gateway would connect its
Jabber XCP communications platform with IBM's Lotus IM offering, which uses
the SIMPLE
Microsoft's upcoming LCS 2005 utilizes the SIP protocol, which raises the possibility that Jabber's XMPP-based platform could connect to businesses using Redmond's real-time collaboration offering.
In its announcement, Jabber said the gateway launch will "provide the basis for additional XMPP-SIP interoperability releases from the company in the months to come" and is scheduled to ship in the fourth quarter this year.
XMPP
SIMPLE remains an Internet draft protocol currently in development while SIP is an IETF protocol that has been endorsed by both IBM and Microsoft.