A Brief History of Chat Services

From way back in 1973, to the present day

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1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987

1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993

1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2014

2013

2015

Talkomatic Protocol: Own

TERM-talk Protocol: Own
1973

Unix Talk Protocol: Talk

1983

Talker Protocol: Telnet

1984

IRC Protocol: IRC

1988

EFNet Protocol: IRC

Ytalk Protocol: Talk +
1990

UnderNet Protocol: IRC

1992

DALnet Protocol: IRC

1994

Freenode Protocol: IRC

1995

ICQ Protocol: Own Sold to AOL

Sold to mail.ru

IRCnet Protocol: IRC

1996

52% US use AIM

AIM Protocol: Oscar

1997

Usage decline

IBM Sametime Based on Databeam and Ubique

QuakeNet Protocol: IRC
Interoperable with MSN

Yahoo! Messenger Protocol: YMSG

1998

Jabber Protocol: XMPP

End MSN interop

Cisco buys Jabber XCP

MSN Messenger Protocol: MSNP

QQ (by Tencent) Protocol: Own

1999

Rizon Protocol: IRC

2002

Skype Protocol: Own

2003

Sold to eBay

Sold to Microsoft

Protocol: MSNP

Mail.ru Protocol: ICQ/Oscar

2004

Google Talk Protocol: XMPP

2005

Blackberry Messenger Protocol: Own

Campfire Protocol: Own

2006

37signals rebrands, signups close

Signups reopen

GroupSwim Proto: Own

2007

. Protocol: XMPP
Unison Protocol: Own

2008

Salesforce acquires GroupSwim, renames it Chatter

WhatsApp Protocol: XMPP w/extensions

2009

Sold to Facebook Protocol: Own

Flowdock Protocol: Own

Sold to Rally Software

HipChat Protocol: XMPP w/extensions

Sold to CA

Sold to Atlassian

Viber Protocol: Own

2010

Facebook Messenger Protocol: Own

Hall Protocol: Own

Sold to Atlassian

iMessage Protocol: Own

Line Protocol: Own
Microsoft Lync Protocol: Own, Microsoft Lync Server, Lync Online
MoMo Protocol: Own
WeChat (by Tencent) Protocol: Own

2011

Chatwork Protocol: Own

Shifts to team chat Protocol: Own

Quip
Wire Protocol: Own
Zulip (Closed ) Protocol: Own

2012

Sold to Dropbox

Cotap Protocol: Own

Fleep Protocol: Own
Glip Protocol: Own

Sold to RingCentral
Google Hangouts Chat

Google+ Hangouts Protocol: Own

Intellinote Protocol: Own
Kato Protocol: Own
Laiwang by Alibaba Protocol: Own
Moxtra Protocol: Own
Pie Protocol: Own
Slack Protocol: Own
Talk.co (branchout pivot)
Telegram Protocol: MTProto
Yixin (by China Telecom) Protocol: Own

2013

Chapp Protocol: Own

ChatGrape Protocol: Own
Circuit by Unify Protocol: Own
Cisco Spark Protocol: Own
Evernote Work Chat Protocol: Own
Flock Protocol: Own
Gitter Protocol: FAYE
Jandi Protocol: Own
Mez Protocol: Own
Talko Protocol: Own
Teamchat Protocol: Own
Tribecube Protocol: Own

2014

Facebook at Work Protocol: Own

Jive Chime Protocol: Own
Mattermost Protocol: Own
Rocket.chat Protocol: Own
Ryver Protocol: XMPP
Symphony Protocol: Own

2015