Google Talk is lacking steam
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The comScore Media Metrix (via silicon valley sleuth) snaps instant messengers statistics for May 2006. The monthly rank: 1) MSN Messenger (204 millions), 2) Yahoo! Messenger (78 millions), 3) AIM (34 millions), 4) (33.8 millions).
- Google Talk drops behind its competitors. The instant messenger VoIP-enabled garners 3.4 million new users worldwide, which equals the growth rate of ICQ, while MSN Messenger attracts over 20 million new users. As other Google tools, GTalk mainly relies on word of mouth to spread. Google steam could appear in the next semester. But it’s quite disappointing that albeit GTalk inclusion into the GMail user tools, and Google popularity, it doesn’t generate more interest than the average.
- Online IM do great. PalTalk user base inflates by 72%, E-buddy by 7%, while Meebo user base expands from nothing to 1.3 million members.
- Specialized instant messengers are also doing great. Both XFire (an IM for video gamers that includes VoIP features) and IMVU (an chat application romanced with avatars) have lured over 1 million new users.
But bear in mind that the data snapshot don’t include Skype statistics. That would have made the comparison more relevant. And the recent interoperability between Yahoo and Windows Live messengers could change a lot in one year.
(picture from the silicon valley sleuth)
UPDATE, July 19, 2006 ― Meebo gave a snapshot of their statistics, without mentioning the time period: Network logins / day: 915,000 Meebo logins / day: 655,000 Messages sent + received / day: 42,000,000 Peak simultaneous users: 43,300 Unique users / month: 2,500,000
Jul 14, 2006 | By Nuno
2 comments
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The issue for Google is definitely federation. I mostly chat to non-geeks, and they are all on MSN not Gtalk. Without Google enabling (and simplifying) access to other networks I can’t see any growth. I understand that the Jabber protocol does enable multi-protocol messaging through gateways, but I haven’t investigated much yet.
Amen, Steve, I agree. Google generates a lot of buzz and noise only in the blogosphere, ‘real’ people aren’t that hyped and still deeply anchored in MSN or Yahoo for IMs. But Google seems quite silent on bringing more enhancement to its IM.