SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AGENT-BASED INTEGRATION OF INSTANT MESSAGING AND VIDEO COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

摘要

A method and related apparatus for initiating videoconferences in instant messaging systems is described, including using an agent to represent the videoconferencing system into the instant messaging system and enabling control using hyperlinked information posted by the agent into the instant messaging message area. Instant Messaging (IM) systems have proliferated, with several commercial offerings available. These systems can allow individual users to communicate with other users using text, audio, video, and other types of multimedia data.