As with Jabber servers, the list of Jabber clients is also pretty lengthy. In addition to pure Jabber clients such as Gajim, Psi and Spark, you can also find Jabber plug-ins for multi-protocol messenger programs such as Trillian or Miranda, to "Jabberize" them as well. The client you choose will depend on your needs and preferences. Note that only ignite real-time offers companion Jabber server (Openfire) and client (Spark) software.

Spark is an eminently serviceable Jabber client that offers a wide range of functions and capabilities

Conclusions: Jabber Is Powerful And Secure Enough To Do The Job

The classic big guns of IM - namely, AIM, ICQ, MSN and so forth - all suffer from usability issues that make alternative IM clients more appealing. More disturbingly, their service agreements assert rights to content transported across their network that force business users to question seriously whether they should use them or not.

Jabber offers a powerful IM alternative to the big-name services, and is ready to connect you to a large user community. Except for a lack of comprehensive multimedia support, Jabber has no serious shortcomings.

There's no arguing that the IM clients from MSN and AIM offer particular features that Jabber can't currently match. Those who don't require multimedia functions, though, should be well-served through a combination of Jabber client software, a Jabber ID, and access to transports to the big-name IM services. These features, plus Jabber's open protocols that make interesting new protocol extensions freely available to a huge user base, make Jabber an attractive and compelling alternative to proprietary IM networks and software.

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