One of the most difficult places to be a part of the current social networking craze is while using a cellular phone. Switching between multiple chat services on a mobile phone has often proved to be hard to manage. Additionally, in the past, it was hard to have access to incoming chats if your phone’s IM application was closed. Beejive IM is an instant messaging application that solves these issues, and offers nearly constant access to chat via mobile phone.

Beejive (pronounced like beehive) opened as a software development company in California in 2006, and Beejive IM was its first product. The application has maintained high popularity in the IPhone app store, as no other similar applications allow access to incoming chats while running in the background. Version 3.0 debuted in September of 2008 and was equipped with Push technology, which is integral in notifying users of incoming chats. To do this, Beejive IM sends users an email advising when a chat is pending. This added feature was so helpful that the application was nominated for the 2008 Best App Ever Award in the Social Networking category.

Beejive IM supports AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, and Jabber, as well as several other services. Facebook has recently been added, which makes almost every popular chat system accessible on the go.

Most reviewers focus primarily on the ability to close out of Beejive IM and still be notified about incoming chats. Other points frequently mentioned are the application’s ease of use, and a landscape option for easier typing. The program will restart automatically if the connection with the service provider is dropped, and running the application will not significantly affect battery life. It is even possible to send copies of chats via email.

Beejive addressed the issue of price raised by potential buyers, and dropped the price from down to . This can be quite a bargain for the most frequent message senders, as there won’t be an additional SMS charge for each chat.

For consumers who are serious about accessing chat applications on a mobile phone, Beejive IM is both cost effective and easy to use. With social networking becoming a more important and constant part of modern life, streamlined communication tools such as this application will definitely come in handy.