ICQ and eXpress.ms services: comparative review

In the world of digital communications, choosing the right messaging and video conferencing platform plays a key role in the effectiveness of communication. ICQ and eXpress.ms services represent two different approaches to organizing communication, each with its own unique features and advantages. In this article, we will conduct a comparative analysis of these platforms, consider their functionality, level of security and usage features to help you determine which service best suits your requirements and needs.

What is ICQ and eXpress.ms

ICQ has been one of the leaders in the messenger market for many years, providing users with the ability to exchange instant messages, video and audio recordings, as well as files. However, unfortunately, the service is closing on June 26, 2024, after which it will be impossible to use it. It is important to start looking for an alternative platform now to save all important correspondence and contacts.

eXpress, on the other hand, is a modern messaging platform that is actively developing and offering users convenient tools for communication within the corporate environment. The service is currently running a promotion, offering new users the first three months of use completely free of charge, including connection, setup and consultations, which makes eXpress an attractive option for those looking for a reliable alternative to ICQ.

History of the development of services

ICQ was one of the first instant messengers that appeared in 1996 and became extremely popular all over the world. It was known as “Ace” and quickly gained millions of users due to its convenient instant messaging feature.

ICQ was originally developed by the Israeli company Mirabilis. After several changes of ownership, including AOL and Mail.Ru Group (now VK), ICQ has undergone many changes, becoming more modern and functional. The service was popular due to its innovative features, such as instant messages and group chats, but over time it began to lose its position due to competition from newer platforms. However, in June 2024, after many years of work and various changes in ownership, it was announced that ICQ would be shutting down, so users are forced to look for alternative solutions.

The development of the eXpress messenger began in 2015, and by 2017 the first version was released, providing messaging and file exchange capabilities, as well as a secure data transfer protocol. By 2019, the service had expanded to a full-fledged corporate messenger with advanced features.

In March 2020, eXpress received a certificate from the FSTEC of Russia, becoming the first product in its class with such certification. The same year was marked by the announcement of the eXpress Smart Apps platform for integrating graphical interfaces. The project has received numerous awards and recognitions, including winning the Project of the Year competition and growing user base across various enterprise platforms, including significant expansion of functionality and integrations in 2022 and 2023.

Basic functions of messengers

eXpress.ms stands out from other messengers, including ICQ, with its unique corporate features. It is the most secure messenger, offering:

• pinned chats and channels;
• reminders;
• pinned messages;
• corporate directory, which allows you to find employees by name or position.

The enhanced privacy mode and the ability to register without a phone number in eXpress.ms are especially highly rated, making this platform ideal for corporate use. In addition, eXpress.ms implements a role-based user rights model, providing features such as file download and forwarding restrictions, as well as file size management, which significantly increases the level of control and data security within the company.

In contrast, ICQ, while providing basic communication features, falls far short of the corporate and privacy features offered by eXpress.ms. While ICQ supports basic messenger features in its latest version, it does not offer the same wide range of data management and protection options, which limits its use in broader and more demanding corporate contexts.

Video conferencing capabilities

eXpress and ICQ are instant messengers designed to meet different communication needs. ICQ, one of the oldest instant messengers, offers basic communication features including text messages, video calls, and group chats. However, compared to eXpress, ICQ's functionality is more limited.

eXpress, on the other hand, is designed with corporate needs in mind and offers advanced video conferencing (VCS) features. Among the advantages of eXpress are support for a large number of active VCS participants, the ability to record calls, raise your hand, reactions during calls, background blur effect, speaker timer, and pre-meeting agenda. It is also possible to create a lobby before a meeting, which increases the level of organization and security.

Unlike eXpress, ICQ does not support the creation or integration of corporate services, which significantly limits its use in the business environment. This limitation makes it impossible to turn the messenger into a full-fledged corporate ecosystem, reducing its attractiveness for business users.

Chatbots and graphical applications

eXpress and ICQ are two different instant messengers with unique features that make them popular among different groups of users. ICQ, which has long been considered a pioneer in the field of instant messaging, still supports basic functions for text messages, video calls and file sharing. However, despite its historical role and widespread acceptance, ICQ is limited to basic features and does not include tools that could meet complex corporate needs, making it less attractive to business users looking for more comprehensive communication solutions.

In contrast to ICQ, eXpress has established itself as one of the most secure and functional corporate instant messengers on the market. Particularly valuable are the built-in graphical SmartApps, which allow users to integrate various corporate services directly into the messenger. This enables the creation of a unified work platform that can significantly increase the productivity and efficiency of teamwork. Such deep integration and extensive customization options make eXpress an ideal choice for businesses looking to digitalize their work processes.

Availability

eXpress and ICQ are two different instant messengers, each offering its own unique features. ICQ, which has long established itself in the field of instant messengers, is known for its basic capabilities for text communication, file transfer and video conferencing. This service remains popular among users for personal communication, but its functionality may be insufficient for more complex corporate tasks.

In contrast to ICQ, eXpress offers more advanced solutions adapted to the needs of modern companies. One of the key components of eXpress is the Osnova application, which serves as a powerful tool for managing corporate processes. Osnova allows you to integrate various corporate services and tools directly into the messenger, which significantly increases the efficiency of work and the convenience of interaction between employees. This app supports the following functions:

• project management;
• task planning;
• team coordination.

In addition, eXpress offers a special version for the Harmony OS operating system, which is designed to create a unified ecosystem of devices, ensuring their seamless interaction and high performance. The eXpress version for Harmony OS allows users to get the most out of this operating system, providing fast and secure communication on Huawei devices. Harmony OS integration also enables advanced security and data management features, making eXpress even more attractive to enterprise customers, especially those organizations where data security and control over information flows are paramount.

These applications significantly improve the integration of various enterprise services and business process management, providing tools for a more efficient and scalable work environment. This functionality makes eXpress an excellent choice for organizations looking to optimize their operations and increase productivity.

Accommodation

ICQ servers have traditionally been hosted in various locations around the world, which ensures high speed and availability of the service for users from anywhere. However, since the acquisition of ICQ by the Russian company Mail.ru Group (now VK Company) in 2010, the bulk of the infrastructure has been moved to Russia. This move was aimed at better compliance with Russian legal requirements for the storage and processing of personal data.

eXpress.ms is hosted exclusively on servers in Russia. This provides an additional level of data protection and security in accordance with Russian legislation on the protection of personal data. Hosting data within the country reduces the risks associated with international sanctions or political restrictions, and also provides a higher level of system security due to political and technological independence. In addition, eXpress.ms offers an On-premise version that allows companies to install and manage the messenger on their own servers, providing full control over the infrastructure and enhanced data protection.

Platform Security

eXpress.ms stands out from other platforms due to its unique capabilities for corporate users, providing not only a high level of security, but also confidentiality. This system claims to be trusted by companies due to the FSTEC RF certification, which confirms its compliance with the most stringent requirements for the protection of personal and corporate data. Such certification makes eXpress.ms an ideal choice for organizations seeking to ensure maximum protection of their information.

eXpress.ms supports global and corporate federation, allows you to create trust connections between servers of different companies for secure data exchange. In addition, the service:

• enables crypto containers on devices;
• offers routing;
• provides the ability to block screenshots;
• has a screen blur function on mobile OS;
• provides a ban on copying and forwarding data.

It is important to note that all traffic in eXpress.ms is encrypted, unlike ICQ, which cannot guarantee such a level of security and is subject to the risk of hacking.