So like everyone else with an iPhone I'm a pretty heavy iMessage user. I love having the ability to use it on both my iPhone AND my Macs. I like that it's encrypted so that random people can't snoop over an open wifi spot. I also like that just about everyone I know is on the service. The only thing I think it's missing? An API.

I would love it if Apple provided an API or protocol for access to iMessage. I really like the Messages app on the phones, but I wish I could use a different app on my Mac. I use the Mac app because it's my only choice. I would LOVE to be able to hook iMessage into Adium or a similar app. I think this could really open up a lot of possibilities for apps.

Other possibilities are that a fully open API would open up would be other layers of encryption if you wanted them. Services like Adium provided encryption across services like AOL (RIP) and Yahoo (RIP), so it could stack that on top of Apple’s built in encryption. I don’t think it’s really needed, but having that option would be great.

Remember how when Twitter started it had a completely open API? There were TONS of clients and a ton of innovation. I would love to see that same sort of environment around Apple’s Messages. It would even be a really easy way for them to expand onto Android. Someone else would end up making a client for it. Of course let’s all hope that if Apple went this way that they don’t go down the Twitter route and then lock everyone out.