[nerd scale: 3 out of 5 pocket protectors]
Recently a client had a need to allow their employees that ability to Instant Message each other
in order to increase productivity. The client wanted to make sure the Instant Messaging system only allowed messaging within their organization and not outside contacts. Also, they wanted it to be inexpensive.
After doing some research, and finding products such as a Microsoft Lync server that did not fit into their budget, I stumbled upon a cool little gem called OpenFire.
OpenFire is an open source Instant Messaging server that is free to use. That is a big plus. The server software and IM client can run on a Windows, Mac or Linux environment. The software comes packaged with an embedded database, but can also be connected to external databases that run on MySQL, Microsoft SQL and others. As well, it comes with an open source IM client called Spark, but can be used with other IM client if needed.
We chose to test this software on a virtualized Windows XP computer running on an VMware ESXi 5.0 server. The install process could not have been easier or quicker. The software comes with a very easy to use web interface for configuring users. If desired, the software can be connected to an LDAP database and pull your users straight from Active Directory if you a running a Microsoft Domain.
Out of the box, OpenFire has all the normal features of you would expect from an IM system, including file transfers. But it also offers that ability use add-in modules to increase the functionality if desired.
With a simple firewall configuration and proper DNS changes, you can easily allow outside access to this IM system. This can allow mobile employees to be able to use their IM clients from within the network and away from the network.
This system is not designed to be use with hundereds of users, but for a small / medium sized business with a few dozen of users, OpenFire should perform really well. I am interested to see if performance suffers as the database grows. I will post updates as more information comes in.
If your company needs to increase productivity by offering a way for employees to quickly communicate with each other in real-time, OpenFire just might be the solution for you. If you need assistance getting this system in place, contact us a Binkley IT Consulting. We can help.
For those interested, here is a short video of our first test of OpenFire:
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