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E-mail is great, but if you want to instantly chat with someone still tied to a screen and keyboard, you need a good Instant Messenger client for your BlackBerry. Instead of trying to use separate clients for the different services out there, you can opt for a client that connects to all of them. IM+ Mobile Instant Messenger , developed by Shape Services, is one such application.

Not only does IM+ do everything that you would expect it to, but setup was a breeze as well. The developer's Web site gives you the WAP configuration needed for different service providers and will also support those on BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server) with a separate version of the program. A configuration option to automatically start IM+ will insures that you are constantly connected.

If you are a PC user of Trillian (or something similar), IM+ will come second nature to you. A single contact screen will bring up all of your contacts from ICQ, AOL, MSN, Jabber, and GMail. These can be sorted by contact or grouped by service. Offline contacts can be viewed or hidden.

To make communication easier, IM+ comes with a set of predefined messages. Between the built-in phrases and the smart use of BlackBerry's AutoText feature, communication with IM+ could not have been easier.

Overall, IM+ is an important tool to help me stay connected.

My only problem with the application is that while it can automatically connect you to the configured services upon program start, if a connection is dropped, the application does not re-connect you automatically. This can be done with a couple of key presses, but it would be nice if it was done automatically. With the addition of this one small feature, a great program could be made even better.

IM+ sells for $44.95. It is also available for Windows Mobile (Pocket PC & Smartphone), Palm, Java, several different Symbian (UIQ, Series 60, Series 80, Series 90, etc.) interfaces and other mobile handset platforms.