The reason none of these new chat systems have wide protocol support is because they're really trying to improve the user experience with features like inline i

The reason none of these new chat systems have wide protocol support is because they're really trying to improve the user experience with features like inline image previews, drag + drop file upload, archived history on the server, accessibility to non-techies, etc. Existing clients just don't support that stuff. Innovation is needed in chat UI, not protocols. Don't get me wrong though, having these platforms be open is definitely important. I'm a co-founder of HipChat.com and while we don't openly support XMPP or IRC yet we are XMPP on the backend and plan to make it available to everyone in the future. IRC support is also something we're considering: http://help.hipchat.com/hipchat/topics/irc_compatibility http://help.hipchat.com/hipchat/topics/irc_compatibility. As for getting "normal chat features" like desktop notifications, we provide our own desktop clients in addition to our web interface. Having to pay for Propane just to make Campfire usable is some weak sauce.