In computer and telecommunications networks, presence information is a status indicator that conveys ability and willingness of a potential communication partner—for example a user--to communicate. A user's client provides presence information (presence state) via a network connection to a presence service, which is stored in what constitutes his personal availability record (called a presentity) and can be made available for distribution to other users (called watchers) to convey his availability for communication. Presence information has wide application in many communication services and is one of the innovations driving the popularity of instant messaging or recent implementations of voice over IP clients.
Read more about Presence Information: Presence State, MPOP and Presence By Observation, Privacy Concerns, Commercial Products, Presence Information in The Business Community, Presence Standardization Efforts
Famous quotes containing the words presence and/or information:
“But often the presence of mind and energy of a person remote from the spotlight decide the course of history for centuries to come.”
—Stefan Zweig (18811942)
“We hear a great deal of lamentation these days about writers having all taken themselves to the colleges and universities where they live decorously instead of going out and getting firsthand information about life. The fact is that anybody who has survived his childhood has enough information about life to last him the rest of his days.”
—Flannery O’Connor (1925–1964)