Systems and methods for originating and sending a voice mail message to an instant messaging platform. One particular system includes a voice mail service adapted to receive a voice mail message and information associated with a recipient subscriber, request an instant messaging address associated with the recipient subscriber's information, and encode the voice mail message for transmission to an instant messaging platform. The system also includes an associated database adapted to provide the voice mail service with an instant messaging address associated with the recipient subscriber's information. Further, the system includes an instant messaging platform adapted to receive the encoded voice mail message from the voice mail service. Also, the system includes a network in communication with the voice mail platform and the instant messaging platform, wherein the voice mail platform transmits the encoded voice mail message to the instant messaging address, and the network routes the encoded voice mail message to the instant messaging platform.