Google has just released a set of components called Libjingle that allow third party applications to interact with Google Talk. The components, which include some source code, are being released under a very liberal license allowing for free incorporation into commercial and non-commercial software.

We are releasing this source code as part of our ongoing commitment to promoting consumer choice and interoperability in Internet-based real-time-communications. The Google source code is made available under a Berkeley-style license, which means you are free to incorporate it into commercial and non-commercial software and distribute it.

In addition to enabling interoperability with Google Talk, there are several general purpose components in the library such as the P2P stack which can be used to build a variety of communication and collaboration applications. We are eager to see the many innovative applications the community will build with this technology.

Below is a summary of the individual components of the library. You can use any or all of these components.

* base – Low-level portable utility functions.
* p2p – The p2p stack, including base p2p functionality and client hooks into XMPP.
* session – Phone call signaling.
* third_party – Non-Google components required for some functionality.
* xmllite – XML parser.
* xmpp – XMPP engine.

Google has done a great job with spurring Google Maps mashups – some people claim hundreds of thousands of third party applications. This code release is even more important and is a huge end around Skype. In fact, Google has basically put a gun to Skype’s head and demanded they now release their API as well.

Skype allows integration with the Skype client. What Google has done goes far beyond this, allowing integration with the Google Talk’s VOIP network.

Here’s an example of a potential mashup – putting google map location information in the same application as google talk, allowing mapping of everyone in the conversation (Gizmo does this). See local businesses and people and add them to the conversation.

Gtalkr, a flash-based website to access Google’s Gtalk, launched yesterday. It allows you to access your Gtalk instant messaging account without a client, from any computer.

Comparisons will inevitably be drawn to Meebo, a similar service, although built on Ajax, that allows users to access a variety of instant messaging services (including gtalk). I wrote about Meebo back in September, and the passionate user comments to that post illustrate the popularity of these services.

Gtalkr is taking a different approach by focusing just on Gtalk, and adding in additional features to, I assume, get users to use it more as a home page or dashboard. Gmail emails are pulled in as well as Yahoo maps (Google maps doesn’t have a flash API, Yahoo does). Gtalkr also plans on pulling in addtiional services, such as del.icio.us and flickr. Independent Flash developers can create these extensions as well.

It’s a useful tool, and like most flash applications I see, very well designed. It does not support gtalk voice (just text IM), and a few bugs are being worked out. See Brian Benzinger and Om Malik for more.

There’s been blog chatter all day about Google Talk. I didn’t write about it because I couldn’t use it (it hadn’t launched yet) and I certainly wasn’t “breaking” the story.

Not only that, it seems to me that Skype already has a quite nice and functional application to do this type of thing. And the fact that Google Talk had a wikipedia page up even before it launched made me sort of think things had gotten a little out of hand.

But I couldn’t resist, of course. The second the client was available for download I jumped to the site and took the plunge.

Google Talk works and it looks and sounds cool. It’s now the 15th IM client on my desktop – MSN, meetro, Yahoo, Skype, Gizmo, AIM, …

You don’t have to download Google’s software to use the service. You can use any Jabber/XMPP client. Cnet puts it well:

One advantage to Google Talk could be its ability to connect with users of competing services. Google Talk is based on the Jabber open-source standard, which allows consumers to connect with other messaging systems that work with Jabber, such as Apple Computer’s iChat, GAIM, Adium, Trillian Pro and Psi.

Google Talk has a nice interface, works quickly and is generally a great product.

Here’s the key features:

• built to interoperate with other services
• good voice quality
• text IM works

Here’s what it lacks:

• client only works for Windows (see mac options here)
• no group chat
• no video
• no renaming of contacts
• no “skype out, skype in, voicemail, etc.”
• good integration with gmail

So try it out and feel free to add us (techcrunch is our username).

Keith Teare, my partner at Archimedes Ventures, is thinking that Google is very obviously dripping out features and products that Microsoft is including in Vista. He wrote to me, using Google Talk:

keith.teare: “It’s almost as if Google is implementing the features Microsoft has announced for Longhorn – Sidebar; voice calls inside IM, RSS integration – but doing it ahead of Microsoft, by about 12 months.

A Google layer between Users and the OS.

Rendering the OS a commodity

It reminds me of a post I did on my weblog about 18 months ago”

I agree with Keith 100% on this one (a first).

Additional Reading:

DownloadSquad (very nice review), Dwight Silverman, Scott Kingery, GMSV, Erick Schonfeld, Ben Barren (I love this blog – guess why), Om Malik