Instant messaging is a quick and convenient way to securely communicate with another VIA3 user. Several tools and features are available from the Instant Message window: Save, Meet, Invite and Send File.
There are many ways to send an Instant Message: 
If you have a contact from your list highlighted, selecting Message from the Launch Pad toolbar will bring up the Instant Message window to that contact. Type the message to the intended recipient and click on the "Send" button or else hit the enter key.
If you have a contact from your list highlighted, selecting File>New>Instant Message from the Launch Pad menu will bring up the Instant Message window to that contact. Type the message to the intended recipient and click on the "Send" button or else hit the enter key.
Double clicking on a contact in your contact list will bring up the Instant Message window to that contact. Type the message to the intended recipient and click on the "Send" button or else hit the enter key.
If you have a contact from your list highlighted, selecting New> Instant Message from the Launch Pad tool bar will bring up the Instant Message window to that contact. Type the message to the intended recipient and click on the "Send" button or else hit the enter key.
Enterprise Instant Messaging (IM) solutions used in government-regulated industries must comply with the appropriate regulatory interpretations. For example, the New York Stock Exchange interpreted the Securities and Exchange Act to require Instant Message archival by their member organizations for three years, the same as email.
In VIA3, to save your Instant Message text:
Click the Save button.
Navigate to the desired storage location.
Name the file and click Save.
For multiple user sessions, the save feature will only save the portion of the text for which you were a part.
The Meet button is provided as a quick and easy means for starting a meeting from an instant message session. Clicking the Meet button will automatically initiate a meeting with the individual(s) included in the instant message session.
The Invite button is provided as a quick and easy means to invite additional people to the instant message session - doing so changes the session to a Multiple User Chat (MUC).
To add someone to the instant message session:
From the Instant Message window, click the Invite button. The Invite window will appear.
Check the box next to the each individual to whom you wish to invite and click the Invite button.
The session has now switched from an instant message session to a multiple user chat. As such, you will be notified about who has joined the session, this notification will come in the form of a message: "11:06 <User Name> has joined" for each person in the session.
When the multi user chat session has started a "To:"
drop down window will be added to the interface and will include each
person added to the session. The purpose of this menu is to allow each user to communicate
with everyone in the session at once or with an individual privately.
Notifications: the text headers will provide you with the valuable information and will log specific events during the multiple user chat session - they include the following:
<User Name> (11:06 AM): standard header sent to all.
11:06 AM The following participants are present: <User Name>, <User Name>, <User Name>: lets you know who is in the session by their user name.
11:06 AM <User Name> has joined.: lets you know when a new participant has joined the session.
11:06 AM <User Name> has left.: lets you know when a participant has left the session.
<User Name> (Private to <User Name> (11:06 AM).: lets the sender know that they have sent a private message to another participant that others can not read.
<User Name> (Private) (11:06 AM).: lets the receiver know that they have received a private message from another participant that others can not read.
When you close the message window (or "X" out) you will receive the following message "You are leaving this conversation and will not receive any future messages from this chat." If you do not wish to leave or if you wish to save the session before you leave, click the Cancel button. The session can continue without your presence.
The Send File feature allows users to quickly send a file to another user through the Instant Message Window. The Send File feature is disabled during multiple user chat sessions.
To send a file through instant message:
From the Instant Message window, click the Send File button - The Microsoft Windows Explorer window will open and display the "My Documents" area.
Navigate to the desired file and click the Open button. The selected file will appear
within the Instant Message window and display the message "Waiting to start...".
wait for the recipient to accept or decline the file transfer.
When the recipient accepts the file transfer, their Microsoft Windows Explorer "Save As" feature will open and prompt them to save the file on their local machine.
When typing an instant message to another user, you may receive a reminder about the recipient's status. For example "<Name>" may not reply because his or her status is set to "In Meeting".
VIA3 instant messages can be enhanced using different fonts and "emoticons".
To add an emoticon:
Click on the smiley face icon.
Choose the desired emoticon - it is added to the text window of your message.