Presence technology: more than just instant messaging

Presence technology has long been an integral part of instant messaging. The technology lets users determine if their contacts are online, signed onto their IM applications, and ready to receive messages. This makes IM different from traditional forms of communication, in which users send out messages or calls without knowing whether the recipient is present to receive them. Now, presence technology is starting to appear in numerous programs other than IM. For example, Microsoft is adding presence to Word, Excel, and other applications. In addition, IBM is adding presence capabilities to Lotus Notes 6.5. Thus, for example, when the scheduled starting time for a user's meeting arrives, the system could show people that the user is unavailable.