I’ve actually done the 2nd point above (rather crudely) through a hook in functions.php.
But again, if this part of the core functionality (and the chat as well), then so much the better.
1. Integrate chat option (one-to-one, group chat, friends chat)
2. Profile header to show more info of use at a glance (much like what is shown on buddypress homepage that showcases James Jacoby’s profile header)