Meebo announced the launch of CommunityIM today, what they’re calling an “open instant messaging for online communities.” The platform is intended for online communities — be it a blog or gaming groups, any website with a community aspect — and enables them to have live and real-time conversations which seem like a much more intimate alternative to Meebo’s regular instant messaging solution.
With the Community IM platform, websites and online communities can apply to partner and integrate Meebo to their websites. Some of their launch partners include Flixter, PopSugar, AddictedGames, Tagged, and DanceJam. The integration works much like Facebook’s chat feature — a bar listing the user’s online status and some general details is visible, clicking on which reveals the user’s contacts and allows them to prompt IM conversations.
While I myself am not a big user, Facebook’s Chat feature has done a great job of adding a real-time aspect to the site, letting its users communicate with each other in a more timely manner. I think the addition of Meebo CommunityIM to community-driven sites will prove to do the same.
