Self-contained instant messaging appliance

摘要

A system and method are presented for providing an instant messaging (IM) environment. The network includes a plurality of client computer processing systems, a plurality of public IM services and an IM server appliance coupling the client computer systems and the public IM services for one of one-on-one and group communication. The IM server appliance includes an IM server for directing IM communication between the client systems and the public IM services, a message logging for creating a log entry of IM communications, a conferencing server interacting with the IM server to providing multiple user IM conferences, a web providing an administration interface and a plurality of public IM service gateways for translating messages from a native IM protocol employed within the IM appliance to a public IM protocol executing in any of the public IM services.