Desktop Integration of SIP/IM in the (K)Ubuntu Desktop

Existing free IM software connects to either a single network (such as Jabber) and implements as much of that network's functionality as possible, or provides plugin architecture to connect to various networks and attempts to implement as many of the features in common on those networks. In either case the result is a large base of code which tries to do a great number of different tasks from the same program, leading to complicated and confusing user interfaces, poorly maintained areas of code, and violates the general principle of 'do one thing and do it well'. Furthermore, each monolithic program tends to export its own unique IPC interface for interacting with other programs, meaning that if integrating its functionality into other applications is desired, the work must be done for a specific application, restricting interoperability and the user's choice.