• About JiveTalk
• Using JiveTalk for the First Time

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Jivetalk is a multi-protocol instant messaging application. Using JiveTalk, you can chat with your friends on all of the major public IM networks, including AIM, MSN, Yahoo!, ICQ, GoogleTalk, Jabber, and MySpace. To use JiveTalk for BlackBerry to chat on any particular network, you must first have an existing account on that network. If you do not have an IM account, please visit the appropriate websites for the IM networks about obtaining an account.

In order to use JiveTalk for BlackBerry, you must have BlackBerry OS 4.0 or later installed on your device. In addition, you must also have an active data plan. JiveTalk uses data connections to send and receive messages to/from your phone, not SMS. Consequently you should not be subject to per-text message charges by your carrier. If you plan to be an active user on JiveTalk or plan to be online for significant amounts of time, it is recommended that you have an unlimited data plan in order to avoid unexpected overage charges.

JiveTalk for BlackBerry communicates with the public IM servers through the JiveTalk servers, which act gateways between the mobile network and any publicly accessible IM network. This proxy architecture allows the application to better deal with the mobile network environment and provide better quality of service, especially in cases of disconnects due to coverage disruption. When your device loses data coverage, whether it is because of network availability or an active voice call, JiveTalk for BlackBerry will automatically reconnect to the JiveTalk servers and subsequently connect to the IM servers. Any messages undelivered to your mobile device during a connection disruption will be automatically re-delivered once connectivity is re-established.

All data transmissions between JiveTalk for BlackBerry and the JiveTalk servers are encrypted with 128-bit encryption.


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To start JiveTalk, from the Home Screen, click on the JiveTalk icon.

When you start up JiveTalk for the first time, you will be prompted to run the Network Auto-Configurator. Click "OK" when asked, and JiveTalk will attempt to configure your installation to use the best available network setting. JiveTalk supports all available transport methods on a BlackBerry, including BES/MDS, BIS-B, and Direct TCP. In order to use JiveTalk, you must be able to access the internet either through your BES MDS, your carrier BIS or through your carrier's WAP to TCP gateway (APN).

In most cases, the Auto-Configurator should automatically detect the appropriate settings to use. In certain cases however, your BlackBerry may not have the necessary service books for BES/MDS or BIS-B access, and you may have to configure your device for Direct TCP. Please consult the networking and connectivity section for more details.

After you have completed the network configurator, you will be taken to the Registration screen to register your copy of JiveTalk. If you have a purchased license of the software, you can enter it in the License Key field and select "Register" from the menu. If you want to try the software first before purchasing, select "Get Key" from the menu and JiveTalk will automatically obtain a free limited-duration license key.

With a valid license key, you can start using the software, see the manage accounts section for instructions on how to configure JiveTalk to use your existing IM network accounts.


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