Links

JabberView

JabberStudio

JabberTools

JabCast

Transports

Transports (also called Gateways or Agents) are the the connections from the Jabber server to other third-party Instant Messaging systems.  Transports are what makes Jabber very powerful, but they are also a source of great confusion for new users.

The main thing to remember is that your software needs to educate your users that even though they need to configure transports though the Jabber software, usually they are relying of a service that is out of the control of the Jabber server administrator.  Users need a basic outline of how transports work to gain an understanding of why they may not appear to work as they believe they should.

I would suggest the best approach for each transport would be to include a link to a webpage that explains exactly what each transport does, and how to configure it.  This way you can update the webpage without having to alter your client in any way.  It would also be useful to include a web based form where the user can register for the third-party service if they do not already have an account.  For example, if they wanted to use the ICQ transport, rather than having to download the ICQ client, install it, create and account and remove the software from their computer again, it would make sense for them to be able to fill out a form on your webpage that registers them, and returns their new ICQ number and instructions on how to configure the ICQ Transport in your client.

Some services like MSN Messenger let you register online without downloading the client software, so in that case, some instructions and a link to the MSN site should suffice.