Will Google Wave change SMS texting and instant messaging? Most likely … but that’s about the best answer right now. Google will have to find partners to help ‘aggregate’ chat and email and address Internet infrastructure issues in a number of countries.

Thanks to Googles reach, Wave can launch and get a good penetration into its addressable Gmail base. It’s all looking good with a Public Beta? of 100,000 invites due to be sent out in September.

If, however you remain committed to Hotmail, Yahoo (which has a bigger user base than Gmail) or still use your ISP’s fixed email address, then Wave isn’t going to matter to you yet.   If you’re on a Dial-up Modem or Slow Broadband, you’ll probably be better to use a dedicated chat program, as the developers usually address these things. So then, where are the partners that will also deliver Google Wave so that ‘everyone’ can enjoy it?

So does that make Wave a great idea … yes, … combining elements of email with the instantaneous nature of chat and text is great. I’m looking forward to trialling it (I hope). I’m also keen to see what people think who dont want to Wave yet?

Damien Saunders