For MIT Chat Support: please see our Support information page http://wikis.mit.edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/confluence/display/ISDA/MIT+Chat+-+Ops+and+Support+Info

Purpose: 

    There are several commercially available IM/chat systems available that would require nearly zero maintenence, because the servers are maintined by AOL, Microsoft, or the like.  However, there's several reasons to implement a separate MIT service.

1. It would allow the chat service to use the MIT namespace, whose use is otherwise ubiquitous in the commmunity.  No battling with AOL for IM handles is required.
2. Users can more easily separate their work and personal identities.
3. It is almost impossible to extend the functionality of most commercial services, while with open source clients and servers there is the much greater ability to build new functionality and services on top of the initial chat service.
   • For example, an open source XMPP client may reasonably be altered to use MIT's Kerberos authentication schemes.  Hacking up an AIM client to do the same thing would not be manageable
4. Ideologically, there's merit to the idea of aiming for IM to be an open federation, like e-mail is today, rather than a closed service offered by a commercial provider.  

To this end, an XMPP server was put into pilot. Successful use within ISDA and in the community at large put proof to the concept.

Current work focuses on rolling out a new XMPP server, on a codebase under active development to facilitate incorporation of new features and inclusion of our own modifications upstream. Expected handoff to operations in mid-July, 2007.

Several disparate features are under consideration for future development, and will be rolled out as resources and community interest dictate.