Zimbra Instant Messaging
Zimbra integrates Instant Messaging (IM) within the web client used to access Vmail. SVSU students, faculty, staff can create buddy lists with other SVSU Vmail users within their account. The generic IM feature within Zimbra is pretty basic, but does provide the user community the backbone for IM capabilities (displacing GroupWise IM previously used by faculty and staff). More notable info is below regarding Zimbra IM...
Information Technology Services has tested several "free" IM-Chat clients that will work with Zimbra, and has found Spark to provide the most robust features.
Spark provides the following features:
- secure authentication
- spell checker plug-in
- allows users to add other Zimbra/Vmail buddy contacts
- create groups to manage contacts
- one-to-one IM sessions
- create a conference room to invite several users to a chat session
- send files to other contacts
- send a broadcast message to several contacts
- plus several other customizable features
Download and Configuration Instructions
Spark Online Help PDF
Other Notables for Zimbra IM
Users may simply use their Vmail session to conduct simple, basic chats with other users. Enabling and configuration can be found under Preferences-Instant Messaging. You may configure your account to flash the browser title bar, the Vmail tabbed window, or a sound/beep.
Using IM within Zimbra is a little different. The chat sessions only occur within the window which shows your email account. There are no popups in the system tray, or other external windows to help alert you to incoming chats (hence, the reason ITS recommends Spark).
Another point to make is that while you can have both Zimbra/Vmail configured for IM and use Spark - it can get confusing, because both clients may respond to incoming messages. Spark will handle them better. ITS recommends disabling IM in Vmail - IF you're going to use Spark for your client.