Send an Instant Message to a Group

You can send an instant message to a contact group, distribution group, or to multiple contacts that you select.

In this topic

Send an instant message to a group

Invite another contact to an IM conversation or conference

Limitations of Group Instant Messaging

Send an instant message to a group

There are several ways to send an instant message to a group.

Send an instant message to multiple contacts

• In the Contact List, multi-select contacts by holding the CTRL key and clicking the contacts. Right-click the last contact and then click Send an Instant Message. In the Conversation window, type your message text and then press ENTER.

Send an instant message to a group

• In the Contact List, right click the group name, and then click Send an Instant Message. Type your message in the Conversation window and then press ENTER.

To selectively choose members of a group

• In the Contact List, use the Down Arrow key to the left of the group name to expand the group, hold the CTRL key and click the contacts you want to select. When you select the last contact, right-click it and then click Send an Instant Message. In the Conversation window, type your message text and then press ENTER.

Invite another contact to an IM conversation or conference

During an IM session, do one of the following:

• Drag one or more contacts from the Contact List or Search Results pane into the Conversation window.

• Use the Invite button:

  1. In the Conversation window, click the Invite button.

  2. In the Invite Someone dialog box, select the members you want to invite, and then click OK.

Note: The names of the contacts you have invited to the IM session appear in the Participant List in the Conversation window.

Limitations of Group Instant Messaging

Group size limitations

• You can start a group instant messaging session with a distribution group that does not exceed 100 members. The leader of the instant messaging session and all the other participants are able to view the contacts that join and leave the session.

Group instant message limitations with older Communicator clients

• Users who are not running Office Communicator 2007 can participate in a group instant messaging session, also called an IM conference, but may experience a delay when being invited to the conference.

• Users with older versions of Communicator can participate in an IM conference, and can see which contact typed a message, but cannot see the list of conference participants.

• Ink messages, created with a Tablet PC, cannot be viewed by other participants in an IM conference. Communicator and Microsoft Office Communications Server support only text for clients in a group IM conference. A user who sends Ink messages in an IM conference receives feedback that their message could not be delivered.