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Messaging vendor Critical Path on Tuesday introduced new IM software for wireless carriers designed to allow users to send messages regardless of device type or IM application.

In addition, the offering aims to bridge wireless and wireline IM services by allowing messages to be sent from a mobile device to a desktop, and vice versa.

The Critical Path Instant Messaging 1.0 software is built on the company's existing Short Message Service technology and its Internet messaging platform, company officials said.

Keeping It Simple

The software supports the emerging messaging standards SIP (session initiation protocol) and SIMPLE (SIP for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions), which allow cross-network communication through interoperability with other IM and telephony systems. SIP is a signaling protocol for establishing Internet telephony and conference calls, and SIMPLE is an extension to SIP targeting IM and presence.

"The fact that we've chosen SIP/SIMPLE lets us tie this into a larger offering, so you have a more sophisticated solution that leverages presence across the network," says Gerry Goldstein, director of product marketing at Critical Path in San Francisco.

For example, when a person is in a voice call on a mobile device, his or her presence information can be detected and updated through the rest of the messaging system, he says.

Critical Path's IM software also supports Wireless Village, an initiative established last year by Nokia, Motorola, and Ericsson to define a set of universal specifications for mobile IM aimed at solving interoperability issues among different transport technologies.

Going Mobile

Critical Path's support for Wireless Village allows instant messaging between mobile phones, mobile computers, and desktop applications by leveraging such transports as SMS, WAP, and HTTP, regardless of platform or manufacturer, according to Renee Robinson Stromberg, product line manager for mobile messaging at Critical Path.

Critical Path Instant Messaging also includes an integrated presence module, which lets users control information about when they are online or available across devices, applications, address book, and calendars, officials say. For example, a subscriber's presence information can be updated automatically based on entries in the calendar or when the person picks up the telephone.

Furthermore, the IM offering can be integrated with existing SMS and WAP deployments, allowing carriers to leverage their network infrastructure to extend messaging services without additional infrastructure investment, according to Critical Path officials.

For Work and Play

Version 1.0 is oriented toward consumer IM usage, but Critical Path is currently developing a version targeted at enterprise subscribers.

Slated for introduction at the end of the year, the enterprise IM offering will include logging and archiving capabilities designed to meet regulatory or corporate policy requirements, tools for integrating the offering with a corporate directory, and enhanced security and encryption. The current IM Version 1.0 supports SSL encryption.

Beta evaluations of the IM 1.0 software will begin in next few weeks. General availability is slated for the end of the third quarter.

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