InstantMessenger
RIXML 2.5 Element
Instant messaging contact information supporting various IM protocols. Contains required type attribute (InstantMessengerTypeEnum for AIM, ICQ, MSN, SMS, Yahoo, etc.) and optional publisherDefinedValue for specifying other IM systems not in the standard enumeration.
Usage
Optional element within ContactInfo that can appear multiple times. Type attribute is mandatory to specify the IM protocol. Use publisherDefinedValue when the IM system is not covered by standard enumeration values.
Business Context
Provides real-time communication channels for research distribution and client interaction, supporting immediate consultation capabilities and modern digital communication preferences in financial services.
Specification Guide
Overview
InstantMessenger captures an instant-messaging contact address for a person or organization, qualified by the messaging protocol in use. It lives inside ContactInfo alongside other contact channels such as Phone, Email, Address and Website, providing a real-time communication option for research producers and consumers (sources: data-dictionary-2.4 p.32, user-guide-2.3 p.21, data-dictionary-2.5.1 p.34).
The element's content is the IM handle/address itself, while the type attribute (drawn from InstantMessengerTypeEnum) identifies the protocol — historically AIM, ICQ, MSN, SMS, and Yahoo. From RIXML 2.1 onward, a PublisherDefined enum value plus an optional publisherDefinedValue attribute allow capture of messaging systems not present in the standard enumeration (sources: release-notes-2.1 p.4, user-guide-2.1 p.21).
Usage
InstantMessenger is an optional child of ContactInfo and may appear multiple times so that a single contact can list handles across several IM platforms (sources: data-dictionary-2.4 p.32, user-guide-2.2 p.21, data-dictionary-2.5.1 p.34).
Typical usage:
- Provide the IM address as the element's text content.
- Always set type to identify the protocol from InstantMessengerTypeEnum.
- When the protocol is not in the standard enumeration, set type to PublisherDefined and supply the system's name via publisherDefinedValue [release-notes-2.1 p.4].
The element is intended for real-time/urgent communication scenarios — for example, time-sensitive research alerts, event coordination, and direct analyst–client dialogue — complementing the more durable channels in ContactInfo (sources: user-guide-2.1 p.21, user-guide-2.3 p.21).
Rules
- MUSTtype must be supplied to identify the IM protocol from InstantMessengerTypeEnum.[RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.4 p.32] [RIXML User Guide v2.1 p.21] [RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1 p.34]
- SHOULDWhen type is set to
PublisherDefined, publisherDefinedValue should be used to name the custom messaging system.[RIXML Release Notes v2.1 p.4] [RIXML User Guide v2.2 p.21] - INFORMATIVEInstantMessenger is being retired from the schema in the RIXML 3.0 work stream, on the grounds that several of the historical IM protocols (AIM, ICQ, Yahoo Messenger) are no longer in common business use.[RIXML All-Member Meeting Winter 2024 p.22]↗ [RIXML Research Suite Data Dictionary v3.0 (DRAFT) p.27]↗ [RIXML All-Member Meeting January 2025 p.35]↗ [RIXML All-Member Meeting June 2025 p.22]↗
Relationships
- child-ofContactInfo — InstantMessenger appears as an optional, repeatable child of ContactInfo, alongside Phone, Email, Address and Website.
- constrained-byInstantMessengerTypeEnum — The type attribute draws its values from InstantMessengerTypeEnum (AIM, ICQ, MSN, SMS, Yahoo, and from 2.1 onward
PublisherDefined). - qualifiesInstantMessenger.publisherDefinedValue — publisherDefinedValue complements type by naming IM systems not represented in the enumeration.
- associated-withPerson — Because ContactInfo is reached via Person (and Organization), InstantMessenger effectively contributes to the contact profile of those entities.
Where It Fits
Canonical Path
Definition
| Type | |
| Namespace | http://www.rixml.org/2017/9/RIXML |
| Min Occurs | 1 |
| Max Occurs | 1 |
| Content Model | Text content (string) |
Attributes
typeInstantMessengerTypeEnum |
Indicates the Instant Messenger protocol type -- i.e. AIM, ICQ, MSN, SMS, Yahoo, etc. required |
publisherDefinedValuestring |
For specifying other IM systems. optionalSince 2.1 |
Children
Contains text content (type: string)
This element's value is its text content. Attributes provide additional context.
Example
<InstantMessenger type="Value">ABC-123</InstantMessenger>Version History
Unchanged since introduction in RIXML 2.1
- 2.0 — Element introduced as an optional, repeatable child of ContactInfo, with a required type from InstantMessengerTypeEnum supporting AIM, ICQ, MSN, SMS, and Yahoo [data-dictionary-interactions-2.0 p.21].
- 2.1 — InstantMessengerTypeEnum extended with a PublisherDefined value, and a new optional publisherDefinedValue attribute added to identify custom or emerging IM systems not covered by the standard list (sources: release-notes-2.1 p.4, user-guide-2.1 p.21).
- 2.2 – 2.5.1 — Definition and usage unchanged; the element remains an optional, repeatable child of ContactInfo with the same attribute model (sources: user-guide-2.2 p.21, user-guide-2.3 p.21, data-dictionary-2.4 p.32, data-dictionary-2.5.1 p.34).
- 3.0 (draft) — InstantMessenger has been removed from the contact-information structure. Working-group discussions cite obsolete protocols and improvements to the surrounding contact tagsets as the rationale; alternatives considered included retaining the element in updated form or replacing it with modern messaging alternatives, both of which were rejected (sources: data-dictionary-v3-draft p.27, meeting-2025-01 p.35, meeting-2025-06 p.22, meeting-2024-winter p.22).