Sustaining its thrust to rapidly expand new product categories, the Internet search titan plans to launch an instant messaging program called Google Talk as early as Wednesday, according to people familiar with the service. This marks the expansion by the Web search leader into text and voice communications.

Google goes beyond Instant Messaging

Sources say that Google Talk goes beyond text-based instant messaging. Google plans to let users chat using more than just their keyboards. Like similar programs from competitors, Google Talk also will let computer users with a headset have voice conversations with other computer users with headsets.

Google insiders decline to comment on the company's product plans.

If confirmed, the combined computer text and voice service would put Google in competition with a similar service initiated by Skype, which has encouraged tens of millions of users, especially in Europe, to use the service.

Google Talk’s IM Service is based on Jabber Technology

Om Malik, an independent journalist, on his blog at http://gigaom.com/ indicated to technical clues implying that Google is preparing to run an instant messaging service basing on an open-source system known as Jabber.

Jabber technology would enable Google instant message users to establich connections with IM systems that also work with Jabber, that includes America Online's ICQ and Apple Computer's iChat, Malik said.

Malik says,"This is the worst possible news for someone like Skype, because now they will be up against not two but three giants who want to offer a pale-version of Skype,"

With instant messaging, Google would be breaking into a market in which its major competitors boast tens of millions of subscribers to their established instant messaging services.

Earlier this week, Google has just introduced a service called the Google Sidebar, a stand-alone software program that sits on a user's desktop and supplies "live" information updates.