AgileMessenger is a multi-client IM program from Agile Mobile which has been available for various platforms for some time, including Symbian, Windows Mobile, and Palm. Now, Agile Mobile is running an open beta for their J2ME AgileMessenger client. Information can be found at AgileMobile.com, more information on the client itself (from my own experience) in the post below.

Give it a shot, you might just like it. You can get to the beta sign up page here: http://mis.j2me.am-im.net:8080/BetaProgram/RegisterUser

If that link doesn't work, try http://www.agilemobile.com/j2me/

Make sure you agree to getting surveyed so you can not only get the beta release updates, but also, of course, to help improve the program functionality!

Try it out, post your results here. Again, more information available below.

Okay, one minor point, before we get into the actual functionality: this client requires APN settings to be entered into device (Settings > Options > Advanced Options > TCP) - essentially, this means you should be able to connect without a BlackBerry data feature, just as long as you have WAP (APN) access.

* Able to set status to "Available," "Away," "N/A,", or "Invisible"
* Availability of connecting to AIM, MSN, Y!M, and ICQ.

* Application controls (QWERTY handsets):
- Star (*): Full menu (buddy list)
- Trackball: Navigate
- Trackball (click): Opens compact menu (buddy list, IM compose screen)
- Back (escape) key: closes open IM windows when selected.
- R, F, D, G: Up, down, left, right (respectively)
- U, J, H, K: Up, down, left, right (respectively)

* Preferences:
- Hide Empty Groups (self-explanatory)
- Show groups (all items on buddy list will otherwise be shown in one group)
- Show time (displays the system time)
- Full screen (does nothing on my 8800, always in full screen mode)
- Right-to-left (typing starts from right side of IM compose window; not tested)
- Right-to-left chars (untested, not sure)
- Volume (alert volume control)
- Charset (text character set; ISO-8859-1, CP1250, CP1251, or other)
- Font size (self-explanatory)
- Time zone (self-explanatory; tough to determine as it is only numbered via a slider, should configure to your handset time zone)
- Max polling interval (the maximum alloted frequency at which the IM client polls your IM server, presumably in milliseconds)
- Auto-away (minutes of idle time before status is automatically changed to "Away")
- Auto N/A (see auto-away above)

* Alert settings (individually selectable) include:
- Quiet Mode (silences audible alerts);
- Vibrate (doesn't seem to work on my 8800)
- Flash (causes the screen on your handset to blink a couple of times when an IM is received)
- Cycle Sound (not sure; I believe that this plays the alert sound over and over until the IM is acknowledged/accessed)
- System Ticker (new IM alerts and client messages are displayed across a small ticker that scrolls across the bottom)

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These are just a few pieces of information on the client itself. Check it out with the information listed in the first post, and post your results here.

The website you posted does not seem working :( (as of 12:04pm PST)

Updated the first link. Try going to http://www.agilemobile.com/j2me/ on your computer.

The registration website is not working.

UPDATE: The website looks like it does not work, but they sent me registration info. Now I have to figure the thing out.

FINAL UPDATE: Very clunkey and un-intuitive on my BB. Maybe it is better on a regular phone, but after you use JiveTalk and IM+ this is a big step backwards for BB users.

Of course, but whilst the others are now charging us, this is currently still free. I would suggest that as many people apply for this as they can and submit as much feedback as possible. Who knows; maybe Agile Mobile will see that this could be a big thing for BlackBerry users and work to develop a BlackBerry-specific client.

agreed I had same findings. As I have stated before free isnt always better

No disagreements here, man, but by the same token, this program could be something great itself, too. Not everything was built in a day, and though it isn't JiveTalk or IM+ yet, it could be; heck, it could even be something better. For those of us who no longer have the option of using JT or IM+, this isn't horrible, for a free app.

neither link works :(

Are you doing this from your BB or your computer? It seems to be working fine for me. Make sure you're doing this from your PC.

theyve been around along time if they havent perfected by now I dont think they will

Well, perhaps their consistent focus on making the excellent multi-platform IM client for Windows Mobile, Symbian and Palm that exists today has been such work that the general J2ME device crowd hasn't been focused on (regardless of whether it should have been or not).

Look, my point is, for the other platforms I've used it with, AgileMessenger has always been a phenomenal client, and it could be for J2ME, too. If you can get your hands on a non-BB device - Symbian, Pocket PC, anything that this app is supported on - I guarantee you, you'll fall in love with it. The same could happen here, too.

Yeah, the app is clunky, it's a PUBLIC BETA. Hence, the folks at Agile Mobile are looking for feedback. Criticism, suggestions, bugs, problems, issues; all to make this program the best it can be. I'm not saying to drop your IM client that you have now, but to just give it a shot. Play around with it for the week trial, fill out the survey, be constructive, and maybe this client could be amazing. =]

I did play around with it. I hope they get it worked out I am not against it at all. Good luck

registered at about 8pm eastern and still havnt gotin any email regarding this program. anyone else having trouble??

im currently beta testing a BB curve with wifi and cannot connect to agile with wifi. I can connect through rogers mobile internet though. help pleaseeeee

Holy crap this application is horrible....just tested it out for a little while. Why dont u just pay for JT. This will never be good, or nearly as good as JT.