IChat Application - Marketing Strategies - Case Study Example

University Name Department Name Date of Submission IChat Application Introduction and uses of the iChat application IChat is refers to instant messaging software application developed by the Apple Inc so that they could be used on the Mac OS X operating system. It supports the instant messaging over the XMPP/Jingle or the OSCAR (AIM) protocol. More also, the iChat has unique features such as, audio, video and the screen sharing abilities which makes it unique and swift to use. It allows the local network discussion discovered through Bonjour protocols. By 16th February 2012, the iChat was meant to be discontinued and replaced with the (Ryan & Jones, 2009). OSX10.8”Mountain Lion through the messages. Inspired by the IOS iMessage app, it will allow the Mac users to be sending messages, videos, photos and other attachments using the iPad, iPod, and the iPhone. According to the apple managing director, the users will be able to call using video I using the application of the Face Time and see the person who is on the other side writing back. Similar to the iMessage, the messages that are sent to and from the mobile will not count against the wireless with the wireless carrier. It enables one to talk with folks who are miles away through a full screen personal video conference in any broadband connection. The iChat can be used as a video and audio call and mostly it is used in both ways. The video call enables people to communicate even if they are miles away as long as the Smartphone has the iChat application. Audio calls are also very applicable in the sense that they may be used to call people just as phones operate (Zardetto & Baird, 2009). The iChat has turned to be one of the best applications that the apple company has ever produced. The messages that have replaced the iChat and beta are readily available in the market today and customers can easily download them on the website. It should be noted that the iChat is an advancement of the Apple instant messenger and it has turned out to better application more than the instant messenger (Meyers & Lee, 2008).The Mac users can take full advantage on the screen sharing capacity, sharing the video backgrounds, setting up the video effects with the photo booth and sharing photos using the slideshow and significant presentations using the instant messenger. The most admirable and impressive characteristic of the iChat Leopard is an integrated screen with sharing feature that allows one to control and watch a single desktop using the iChat. This makes it easy for one to collaborate with other people online. Through the application, it is possible to share one's desktop and at the same time sharing that of a friend (Spivey, 2011). When one starts a screen sharing session, the iChat automatically initiates to the audio chat mode and this makes very swift and good in the long run. Moreover, the new iChat enables one to set the animated or the static background (commonly known as the “Backdrops”) in the chat window. One needs to drag and drop the video or picture from the iPhoto or the iMovie, Finder into the video preview window and creates a new backdrop. The photo booth also enables one to modify the iChat using the video effects. Photo booth is a small software application which is used for taking photos from the iPhoto, the slides from the keynote or the content from any iChat-enabled application with the iChat or AIM. The messages are also known to support other instant messages such as AIM, Google talk, Jabber and the Yahoo messenger (Seibold, 2009). History of the iChat The iChat application was first released to the market in August2002 after the invention and introduction of Mac OSXv10.2.The application featured integration with the Address book and mail applications and it was the first officially supported AIM client that shared nativity with the Mac OS X. In June 2003, the Apple Corporation announced the iChat AV which was the second major version of the iChat. It included video and audio conferencing ability which based on the industry standard; session initiation protocol (SIP).The final version of the super software was shipped with the Mac OS Xv 10.3 and it became available separately through Mac OSXv10.2 for only$29.95.Around February 2004, AOL managed to introduce AOL instant messenger (AIM) version 5.5 for the windows users which could enable video but the audio was restricted. Chats over the AIM protocol were mainly compatible with the Apple iChat AV. Moreover, on the same day Apple released a public beta AV 2.1 which could allow the Mac OSX users to be able to video conference with the users of AIM 5.5.Around june2004, Steve Jobs went ahead and announced that the following version of the iChat AV would be included with the Mac OSXv10.4(Turner, 2005) . The iChat AV3 gave additional support to enhance around four people to be involved in a single video conference and ten people to be involved in an audio conference. Moreover, the new version of the iChat that was used applied the H.264/AVC Codec, which could offer superior quality video in comparison to the older H.263 codec that used the previously known versions. The release supported the XMPP protocol which could be directly be used to connect to the Google Talk and indirectly it was used to connect with the users of other services including the Facebook chat, Jabber and the Yahoo Messenger, however, the support was limited since it could not support several common XMPP features especially account creation, discovery of service and the full-multi user chat support. iChat three also involves the Bojur protocol, and it was previously Rendezvous and it allowed the iChat to automatically engage other users with the iChat Bonjour messaging which is enabled on the local network (Meyers & Lee, 2008). In year2005 on October, the iChat managed to receive support from the encrypted communications but it only paid of the Apple Mobile Me commonly known as Mac service. The features are part of the iChat 3.1 which was released as part of the MacOSXv10.4.3 update. This version went ahead and added the support for the XMPP, the multi-user chat. In March year 2007, Apple Inc released the MacOSXv10.4.9 update which enhanced the USB video device class (UVC) in conjunction with the iChat rather than just the commonly renowned FireWire-complaint cameras (Spivey, 2011) This enhances wider range of cameras to the focused iChat AV. The iChat four was initially introduced as part and parcel of the Mac OSXv10.5 and it received some new features including the iChat Theater (Inspired by the Chat FX, a product from Plum Amazing) Screen sharing and the backdrops. Ichat theatre enhances the users to share any given file that is supported by the Quick Look such as photos, keynote presentations, video chat sessions and the movies. The backdrops allow users to insert the movies or the photos in the backdrop video. The screen sharing app allows the two users of the Mac OSX Leopard to control the desktop and work collaboratively. Some minor features which are in the new release include the multiple logins, icons that are animated, massive use of the photo booth effects and the live video chat as well as the tabbed chats. The iChat was released in accompaniment of the Mac OS X v10.7 and it supports the Yahoo messenger account which enhances the iChat users to have a text voice and video chats using the Yahoo Mail account. More also, it supports the third plug-ins hence eventually allowing the other protocols to be highly compatible with the software. Messages are part of the OS X mountain lion preview and the Apple inc announced on 16th February 2012 that the Mac OS X messaging clients would be known as messages and it would highly support the iMessage protocol hence making it compatible with the iOS clients. More also, it incorporates the Face Time support which helps in initiating video conversation where possible. The Apple has also made the messages to be readily available as a downloadable beta version for use by the OSX Lion(Meyers & Lee, 2009). IChat interface The iChat interface incorporates the Apples Aqua interface and uses the speech bubbles and pictures to make the online chatting experience a bit personal.The iChat green indicates that the individual is available, yellow means that the individual is idle and red means that the individual is away. The icons are usually displayed alongside the connected the icons are usually displayed alongside the connected user or the buddy list. For the users who are color blind, it can be altered to show the different shapes, such as circle that means the individual is available, triangle that means the individual is idle and squares to show the buddies who are away. The shapes are used to illustrate the status rather than the color. Sometimes, it is very funny to see that after installation, it's possible to see the similar interface that might be remembered since they appeared in an iPad or an iPhone (Meyers & Lee, 2009). The iMessages are not just iMessages interface, but after playing with it, it is possible to know that they are not just simple messages but very powerful application with an integration of all iChat features. The iChat is not all the features but also very tiny and awesome features from the iMesages too. For instance, one can send a message to multiple friends through acting like one using the iMessages. It involves pressing on the new message button, selecting contacts, writing the message and finally sending it to the selected contacts. Hence, it is not good and individual to miss the iChat, rather it is right there with merged messages hence becoming stronger than how it was previously (Meyers & Lee, 2009). With the iChat application, it is possible to engage communication anywhere hence making it efficient and effective in the long run. A glimpse of the messages, it is possible to think that one can receive messages even when on the Mac. However, it is very true because one does not need to move every single time to and from your PC just to see a trivial message from a friend. However, that is not the most important thing about iChat, the most awesome thing is that one can really send messages from the Mac to the clients and Co-workers who have the iPhone. Unlike the instant messaging apps, they will automatically receive the message even when they are moving. It should be noted that there is no application on computer or laptop which are convenient as the messages appear to be (McElhearn, 2005). Furthermore, for those who love to do many things in the same application, there is a trick for them; with the messages on the Mac, one can send an idea or thought from the device iMesages app right to the Apple ID and finally it will be delivered to the Mac right away. Even if the Mac is switched off, is not important to open a key note for taking a quick note. iChat does not only involve chatting everywhere physically, but also the virtual aspect is taken into concern. Initially, one could only send messages between the iMessages using such devices like the iPad, iPhone but now it is possible to connect with friends using other instant messaging services such as the AIM, Yahoo, the Google Talk and the Jabber accounts. Therefore, the messengers are not all about one might think, but it also involves importing contacts, engaging conversation with the contacts that are on the end of the instant messaging apps. However, it should be noted that the group chat and sharing of the files feature might be disabled at times especially on instant messaging service more especially Google talk and the yahoo messenger (McElhearn, 2005). It’s worth noting that messages does not have Face Time installed in it, rather one has to launch the Face Time app whenever one wants to communicate with a friend (Meyers & Lee, 2009).The Face Time existed on the messages interface in case one want to have a video with a friend who only own the iDevices and one has to click on the button and initiate the Face time with them. With Face Time application in the mind, Messages also record the contacts and phone number and help in tracking if the individual’s device has the capability of doing the Face Time calling. Alternatively, it is possible to do regular audio chat or the one way video chat through right clicking on the contact and selecting the option since the features is inherited from the iChat. The magic of the name iChat IChat is magical as it sounds. It has features and applications which enhances its use as eye for of communication. Eye to eye form of communication is effective in the sense that all the paralinguistic features are highly observed and at the same time emotional aspect of it. The Apple corporation developers used the idea to name iChat since it is more like facial and eye to eye communication. Moreover, the integrated services such as audio, video and messages makes it suitable to be affiliated to the iPhones. The application is most effective and efficient in the iPhones and, therefore, it was branded the name iChat. Moreover, most of the products from the Apple Corporation start with the “i” and, therefore, it is possible to assert that the “i” is a brand name for apple products (Meyers, & Lee, 2009). Marketing strategy Apple, iChat manufacturer, has adopted various methods of marketing such as advertisement, making products readily with installed iChat among other practices that alleviated the level of iChat usage and purchase. Widget advertising is one of the tactics that the company has adopted in an attempt to ensure the sales have increased (Meyers & Lee, 2009).The popularity of the widget advertisement has continued to grow and especially with companies like Gigya that was started as a distribution network and it went ahead and launched a distribution network so that companies that normally distribute widgets and also use them to advertise to the people. The advertisers use video o their widget advertising so that they can show many details such as movie trailers to the popular TV commercials. Through the advertisement, the potential clients are informed about the iChat products and they feel that the product is good for them and worth at the same time (Paley, 2005). I chat has also linked with giant firms such as Yahoo in an attempt to make their publicity well known. For instance, IChat Inc who is an Austin developer of the internet has closed the biggest deal ever with the giant industry Yahoo. The local firm technology will enable the users to create their own private over public chatroom over the internet (McElhearn, 2005). The Chat software allows the users to communicate with each other and offer feedback to the websites. In refere to Zardetto, S., & Baird, A. (2009), Through the program, the iChat has successfully marketed its software to the individuals and corporations hence increasing the sales exponentially. Moreover, the Apple Inc has embarked on web and blog based advertisement whereby the company advertises the app and posts it for users to download. It is noted that most of the purchases are done through the process of download. Through the strategy, the company has managed to reach people at a considerable rate (Fox, 2009). Still on marketing strategy of the application; the Apple Inc has been making Smartphone’s which are iChat enabled. Since they are enabled with the app, the clients will only buy the apps and go ahead and use them outrightly. Conclusion In conclusion, it is evident that Apple Inc is a dynamic technology corporation which tries to improve the lives of people through the daily products which they produce. The iChat is a product that is aimed at ensuring v that communicates effectively in a Smartphone or a Mac. The application tends to be unique as it enhances video and audio communication with clear images, as a result of the fine infiltration of the graphics. The product has been highly accepted in the market and also the company has ensured that effective marketing is done. From its origin to today, many applications have been sold and downloaded and this proves that the application is worth buying and using at the same time. The iChart interface is easy to use with colours and shapes to indicate the status. When the client is either, away, idle or active, respective colours have been chosen and for the sake of colour-blind the shape is adopted. Therefore, it is appropriate to assert that iChat is appropriate app and it should be applied under all costs ( References Fox, S. C. (2009). E-riches 2.0 next-generation marketing strategies for making millions online. New York: American Management Association. McElhearn, K. (2005). How to do everything with Mac OS X Tiger. Emeryville, Calif.: McGraw-Hill/Osborne. Meyers, S., & Lee, M. (2008). Mac OS X Leopard. Dordrecht: Springer. Meyers, S., & Lee, M. (2009). Learn MAC OS X Snow Leopard. New York: A press Paley, N. (2005). The manager's guide to competitive marketing strategies (3rd ed.). London: Ryan, D., & Jones, C. (2009). Understanding digital marketing marketing strategies for engaging the digital generation. London: Kogan Page. Seibold, C. (2009). Mac OS X Snow Leopard Pocket Guide. Sebastopol: O'Reilly Media, Inc. Spivey, D. (2011). Mac OS X Lion. Indianapolis, Ind.: John Wiley & Sons. Turner, D. D. (2005). Master visually Mac OS X Tiger. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Pub. Zardetto, S., & Baird, A. (2009). Take Control the Mac OS X Lexicon. Amazon Publishers New York City. Read More