With the release of OS X Mountain Lion, will the new Messages for Mac dominate the world of instant messaging?

Here is what you need to know.

The Features You Already Know and Love

Messages for Mac replaces iChat and brings iMessage technology from your phone or iPad to your desktop. The main features are:

• Ability to chat with friends using multiple chat services.
• Video and text chat with groups.
• Notifications of delivered and read messages, BBM style.

The Big Payoff—What REALLY Sets Messages for Mac Apart

The best new feature is device independence. Start a conversation on your desktop and move to your iPhone, your iPod or iPad. This means you can switch seamlessly back and forth between devices without skipping a beat.

When you start an iMessage chat on your computer, the entire text of the conversation shows up in the same program on your phone. Imagine the implications:

• Need to leave the office in the middle of a talk? No problem, just continue it on your iPhone.
• Need to look something up on your computer when you were IM-ing on your phone? Again, not an issue: switch devices, look up the information and reply on either phone or computer or Ipod.

Ever been frustrated with multiple device notification? Once you’ve read a message on one device, it will disable notifications on all other devices you’re using.

How Will This Affect Your Company?

Instant messaging is critical for nimble businesses. Messages for Mac can streamline mobile employees and increase employee productivity. It’s entirely possible that Messages is reimagining corporate messaging as we know it. And that’s Clever.