There are no shortage of inter-office messaging services—instant or otherwise. This week, Jive Software added its own variation on live chat with the general availability of Jive Chime.

The new app—developed for iOS and Android devices and Windows and Mac desktops—connects coworkers in real time via one-on-one conversations or group discussions.

"There is a massive paradigm shift in how employees communicate today as they expect to connect as simply and easily as they do in their personal lives," Jive Software CEO Elisa Steele said in a statement. "With the fast pace of business today, co-workers need simple, singularly focused, mobile apps to work together in any context, at anytime and on any device."

Chime's intuitive, secure service allows users to engage with colleagues during the morning commute via their smartphone, then pick up the conversation at their desk once in the office.

And, Chime doesn't require a contact's email address or phone number before you can start discussing that big upcoming project or planning an inter-office party.

The greatest fear when entering into an open social network like Chime is the avalanche of alerts and messages expected from everyone from the mail room up to the corner office.

But Jive's new app lets subscribers set notification preferences, so you can stay in the loop without being bombarded by uninteresting memos.

Plus, create and name Jive Chime groups, add and remove coworkers from conversations, see when messages are read and when team members are responding, and send team chimes.

For an additional $2 per user per month, IT departments can tap into administrative features for adding, deactivating, and editing employees' profiles via a centralized console.

"Despite the many options for team communications, Jive Chime is the first to truly put people at the center of its design," Steele said, boasting "a simple, smart, beautiful app to get the answers you need to keep the work moving and the conversation flowing."