Flickim

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

FlickIM
FlickIM Screenshot
OS	Cross-platform (web-based application)
Genre	Instant messaging
License	Proprietary
Website	flick.im

FlickIM is an in-browser instant messaging program which supports multiple IM services, including Yahoo! Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, Google Talk, AIM, Jabber, ICQ and is based on the open source library libpurple.

1 Features
2 History
3 Competitors
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Features

A project of Berkeley student-founded startup Redux, FlickIM combines multi-client browser-based instant messaging with integrated media applications. With venture funding from San Francisco-based Alsop Louie Partners and former PayPal CEO Peter Thiel, the service was launched on September 27, 2007 ^[1]. The goal of FlickIM is to allow instant message users the ability to communicate with their contacts of each popular instant message service simultaneously, while providing instantly accessible on-demand and information portals from the same browser ^[2] ^[3] ^[4].

Espousing the principal of “democratic development ^[5] ^[6],” FlickIM is recognized for looking to its users as a driver of innovation ^[7] ^[8]. With the launch of Flick.IM, the company opened up application development to its users with an API ^[9]. At the present time, over 8 applications are available, including Yoink’d, Yelp, Facebook, Gmail, and Last.fm.

Users can create an account through FlickIM, allowing them to sign into their AIM, MSN, Yahoo! Chat, Google Chat, ICQ, and Jabber accounts using a single username and password and access all contacts from a single buddy list ^[10]. It has been reputed that these applications will be more closely integrated with the user’s chat and buddies ^[11].

[edit] History

The first iteration of the FlickIM service was exclusively for the Apple iPhone. Due to Apple’s decision to not include a native chat client, the company released its own skin that closely emulates the look and feel of the Apple interface ^[12] ^[13]. Unique functionality included the ability to send embedded YouTube and movie trailer links ^[14] ^[15] ^[16].

[edit] Competitors

FlickIM does not provide a new messaging protocol and faces competition from original networks providers as well as other third-party web-based clients. First-party competition includes MSN Web Messenger, AIM Express, Google Talk, and Yahoo! Web Messenger.