The United States Air Force has announced that it has gotten with the times. No longer prohibiting its members from using an instant messenger client to chat with people outside the company, such as loved ones back home, the Air Force has taken the bold step of embracing the technoloogy, and making it its own.

This week the Air Force launched its own “Friends and Family” instant messenger program. Using a proprietary instant messenger client developed by the Air Force, which includes encryption and is considered to be more secure than the more widely used messenging clients, Air Force members can invite up to five family members or friends to participate in the program.

The security-conscious program does not… [Continued...]