Discord 1.0

Offers a chat platform especially used by gamers. Creates channels and names them up to preferences, where people can join in and chat, share pictures or videos. It is useful for gamers because the game you are playing is always shown near your name, and you can join dedicated channels for certain games.

Discord is an instant messaging service supporting voice, video, and text. It is aimed mainly to young people, but grownups can use it too.
After downloading and installing the client, you need to create an account and verify the email address you provided. Then, you can log in using your username and password.

Once you're logged in, you can search for groups for joining in. There are plenty of public servers and communities in almost any subject you can imagine. They are grouped by categories such as music, gaming, education, science, and so on. Each category is composed of several groups to choose from.

Nevertheless, one of the most interesting options of the program is that you can create your own groups (called "servers") and invite your friends and family to join. You can create as many groups as you want, and invite an unlimited number of people. Of course, these servers can be used for work purposes too, since they give you all the tools you need to create group meetings, such as audio and video chats, file sharing, and so on.

It has some disadvantages, though, For example, I had some issues when registering: the captcha didn't allowed me to move on until the next day. Also, the program is not as intuitive as other options, so you may need to read the online Help files to use it at its fullest.

In sum, if you are looking for an alternative to the most popular instant messaging programs, this may work for you.