I'm pretty sure that email and sms represent the lowest common denominator. IRC is a fringe protocol, and while there may be "mass dissatisfaction" with those tools, they are omni-present, and central to most business.

The truth is that no closed platform will ever reach the universality that email has. The prevalence of various chat platforms looks like a race to replace sms. At the current rate, there may be no winners, and only losers.