Instant Messaging
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IT Services provides instant messaging services for faculty, staff, and students. All faculty, staff, and students can access UARK Jabber chat rooms and use UARK Jabber instant messaging. IT Services recommends that faculty and staff use Microsoft Lync for instant messaging, voice and video calling, and file tranfer. Google Talk is also available to students with UARK Gmail.UARK Jabber
Students, faculty, and staff can chat with other UARK users — as well as MSN, Yahoo!, ICQ, Google, and AIM contacts — using UARK Jabber. UARK Jabber can be accessed with any web browser at uachat.uark.edu.
Set up UA Chat Contacts:
UA Chat Contacts
For more options than are available through UA Chat, including file transfer, IT Services recommends the Psi Messenger desktop Jabber application for Windows or Mac. IT Services also supports Apple iChat and MobileLinked IM applications for UARK Jabber instant messaging.
Set up UARK Jabber applications:
Windows | Mac | Mobile
Public and Private Chat Rooms
Chat rooms provide real time online group messaging. Official university chat rooms hosted on UARK Jabber can be requested using the UARK Jabber Chat Room Request form. UARK Jabber chat rooms can be created as public or private and can be password protected. Users can also create temporary chat rooms in Psi, UA Chat, or other Jabber applications. Temporary chat rooms are removed from the server when no users are present.
A chat room can be accessed by selecting it from the list of public chatrooms or clicking Join a Conference or Join a Chat Room in your Jabber application and entering the chat room name. In the server field, enter conference.jabber.uark.edu for public chat rooms, or prv.conference.jabber.uark.edu for private chat rooms.
Microsoft Lync
Microsoft Lync, a communication tool that integrates with other Microsoft products, is available to faculty and staff through campus-wide licensing. Lync features instant messaging, voice and video calling between individuals or groups, file transfer, and desktop sharing.
Lync users can host and participate in live meetings and communicate directly from Outlook and Sharepoint. Real time user presence shows the availability of contacts and Lync displays contact photos. To submit a faculty or staff photo to appear in Lync, Outlook, and other Microsoft applications, upload a photo using the Exchange Photo Submission form.University chat rooms are available using UARK Jabber, but are not supported in Lync.
Faculty and staff working in departments participating in the Microsoft Campus Agreement can download Lync for Windows or Mac. The Lync desktop application is required for viewing user presence in other Microsoft applications. All other faculty and staff can access Lync in Outlook Web App at exchange.uark.edu or using one of the mobile apps available from Microsoft. For download and setup information, see the Microsoft Lync Tech Article.
Google Talk
Students have access to Google Talk through the new UARK Gmail. Google Talk allows students to make voice calls, send instant messages, transfer files, and leave voicemail messages using a downloadable Windows application. While Google continues to refine its products to ensure full ADA compliance, however, students cannot be required to use this feature. Learn more about Talk and other UARK Gmail Features.