ICQ type program (looking for input)

[codemonkee]

Hello There CF,
I am looking to create an ICQ type program with specific requirements and am looking for input on a few things...

First the requirements...

• Must be able to broadcast to all users
• Must use in house server not web server
• Must be able to pop to front in windows
• Must keep a running history of posts even when a user is offline, and display those to you when you log in
• All users must be able to access a single broadcast "channel" whether that be a user id that all have access to or a different method

Now a bit of background on me ... i have experience in C++, VB6, VB.Net, Java, HTML and minimal experience with C#. Also i am a fairly quick study so an unfamiliar language is not out of the question

The input i am looking for is what language/languages would i be able to accomplish this on a decent sized scale.

Any input is appreciated...

Thanks