What is Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol?
{{IPstack}} '''Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol''' ('''XMPP''') (formerly named '''Jabber'''<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.jabber.com/CE/AboutUs |title=Jabber Inc. - About Us |access-date=2009-09-14 |archive-date=2007-07-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703003323/http://www.jabber.com/CE/AboutUs |url-status=dead }}</ref>) is a [[Protocol (computing)|protocol]] for [[instant messaging]]. It is inspired by [[XML]]. It is different to most protocols because it is an [[open standard]]. This means that anybody who has a [[domain name]] and an internet connection can run their own server. Most of the software and the [[Client (computing)|clients]] are [[open source]]. Other software such as [[Google Talk]] and the [[Gizmo5]] use the XMPP protocol. It has been installed on thousands of [[server]]s across the [[internet]]. There are over five hundred million users who use software based on the protocol.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://xmpp.org/xsf/press/2003-09-22.shtml |title=Jabber Instant Messaging User Base Surpasses ICQ |access-date=2009-09-14 |archive-date=2007-11-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071103080257/http://www.xmpp.org/xsf/press/2003-09-22.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref> Clients include [[Pidgin (software)|Pidgin]] and [[iChat]]. == History == Jeremie Miller started the Jabber project in [[1998]]. The first major public release was in [[May]] [[2000]]. This early software was the basis of XMPP. It was a competitor to [[SIMPLE]], which was based on the [[SIP]] protocol. In [[August]] [[2001]], the Jabber Software Foundation (JSF) was started. The main role of the JSF was to manage the XML protocols for XMPP by [[documentation|documenting]] them. As well as this, the organisation was to co-ordinate the many companies that were using the XMPP technology.<ref>[http://xmpp.org/history.html History of XMPP]</ref> In [[2002]], the [[Internet Engineering Task Force]] created a working group to formalize the protocol. The group was named the ''Extensible Messaging and Prese