[thelist] Which Chat Server/Forum for Interaction on a Corporate Site

["C. Bergström"]

Ron Dorman wrote:
> I have busted 5-6 hours reading features, requirements, etc. for chat 
> servers and forums on google. Now I'm asking the community for their 
> opinions on chat servers/forums.
>
> Our client needs software to run on their server, allowing distributors, 
> resellers and users to discuss the company products.
>
> 1. we need 1-20 rooms/topics (1 room/topic per product, growing)
> 2. Linux or Windows server (current site is on Windows)
> 3. price is not an issue, but needs to be reasonable
> 4. currently support for 300+ users, growing quickly to as many as 
> 8000-9000 within a year
> 5. stable and reasonably fast
> 6. no user side client needed (must be usable via http/html/xhtml)
> 7. would be nice if chats (if chat room is chosen) could be saved and 
> presented in a forum style format/application for searching
> 8. arguments for using forum software vs. real time chat, or real time 
> chat vs. forum, appreciated
>
> I believe many of you have delivered, and supported, such applications 
> for your clients (some of you may be the clients using such 
> applications) and I am looking for the reality of your experiences to 
> help me make a good choice for this client.
>   
Hopefully nobody minds the shameless self plug..

Coincidently I'm building something very very close to this right now.  
It's going to be an open source, but if you're interested in working 
together so that maybe a specific feature you want/need is in there feel 
free to contact me off list.  I know this has all been done before, but 
I'll be using the Wicket Java framework. (Really powerful for UI and Ajax.)

Cheers,

Christopher