AOL opens AIM to developers

[Jeff]

AOL announced today that it plans to let software developers create their own customized versions of AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). Developers will get access to software toolkits that will let them enhance or even create instant messaging services of their own.

The open policy is a significant change from AOL's traditional walled garden approach. Some analysts believe that tapping into a network of global developers could help AOL gain an edge in the IM market.

According to Reuters, AIM services are used by over 63 million users, and this move is part of AOL's strategy to gain a larger role in the social networking market dominated today by MySpace.

"AIM is the original social network," said Kevin Conroy, executive vice president of AOL Media Networks. "We're looking for ways for consumers to be ablet to extend their social networks via an already popular platform."

The AIM Developer tools are available at http://developer.aim.com/

[Jeff]

You can read more about the newly release API from gregsblog -- he's one of the AIM developers who has been working on this for the past two years.

[MrEggsalad]

That's pretty cool, I checked it out...very confusing...however it was cool to IM peeps from the cmd.