Abstract: A collaborative working application employing an instant messaging service allows a group of members to track the usage of a resource by dynamically creating an arbitrary resource name representing a resource of any type or representing a group of existing resource names, reserving and releasing the resource name in real-time by changing its virtual lock status, querying the resource status, and queuing against a locked resource name so as to be notified when the resource becomes available. The resource names may further be organized in a hierarchy for ease of management. Other features would also be discussed.