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No, Instan-t is not a not a new powdered drink mix. It's a free instant messaging product that makes it easy to chat online with your friends on the AOL, MSN or ICQ networks.

Instant messaging has become an Internet killer app. The incredibly large user base is seen as a valuable asset to the big Internet service providers. AOL, in particular, has been unwilling to play nice and share access with other services. If the management of AOL were to have their way, only AOL users would be able to exchange instant messages with other AOL uses.

Instan-t is not the first cross service instant messaging product, but it may be the first to make it truly easy to communicate across the great instant messaging divide. Both the initial setup and software updates are very simple.

The installation and setup couldn't be much easier. The program automatically detects the settings needed to work with your firewall or router, if present. I installed Instan-t on my home network, which uses a hardware router/firewall, and software based personal firewall. I also installed it behind a corporate firewall. Both installations were smooth and totally automatic.

One of the coolest features of Instan-t is the automated account setup. If you don't have accounts on any of the supported networks, they are created for you. This, like the program setup, was a totally seamless process. If you have existing accounts, the accounts and contacts can be imported from other instant messaging programs.

Since AOL tries to keep other services from communicating, they actively try to block third party programs such as Instan-t. An Instan-t representative told me that AOL blocked the program once for about two hours. I'm also told that the Instan-t network is setup so it can quickly be adapted, and users can update their software with a single click.

Not only is the software easy to install and configure, it is free and there are no advertisements displayed. It's definitely worth a look for those who wish to keep communication lines open with the rest of the instant messaging world. The software works with all current versions of Windows. There are no Mac or Linux versions planned.

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