Google Talk and AIM come together

[Jeff]

Earlier this week, Google scored a major coup when it was announced that they had beat out Microsoft and would acquire a 5% stake in America Online. Now Google has announced that a major IM project is already underway to provide connectivity between Google Talk and AOL Instant Messenger (AIM).

Yes, the battle lines in the IM war have been drawn. On one side you have Microsoft and Yahoo working together to provide interoperability between Windows Live Messenger (currently in beta testing) and Yahoo! Messenger. And on the other, you have AOL and Google (and potentially any Jabber client).

Of course, Google Talk is a Jabber client. You can already connect to Google Talk using most Jabber-capable clients, including Gaim, Trillian, iChat, Meebo and many others.

According to eWeek, the Google-AIM project will not provide true, cross-network interoperability. In simple terms, you will be able to use Google Talk to chat with AIM users, but you'll still need to register and setup an AIM account. This is a positive move, but what consumers really want is one account that let's them chat with their friends regardless of the IM network.

[sarahtowny]

Sounds like war to me! This will be an interesting year for IM, here in the uk I might add no one has AIM so we will most probably go with the yahoo/msn side.

Interesting though will watch with interest.

[Tigerblade]

Sounds good, as long as Google rubs off on AOL and not the other way around. If AOL starts rubbing off on Google, not too long before Google and Google Talk become as bloated as AIM is.

[Spike]

Well, Tigerblade, I'm pretty sure AIM isn't going to start to lose features, heh.

But, really, this should get very interesting. Personally, I'm rooting for Google/AIM, not because I like AOL, but because I'd really like to see interoperability between the two. None of my friends use MSN or Yahoo, so I'm not particularly interested in either of those.

[seb_thib_55]

I agree. IM is getting very interessting these days. It sure is WWW War1 :) HAHAHA!!!! Why can't MSN and GoogleTalk connect??? O well at least AIM + Google is a good start. AOL/AIM is usually stubourn :(

[MrEggsalad]

Very interesting. It's also interesting how Microsoft is going after Yahoo, and Google's going after AOL...mmmyess.

[RU Still Down?]

no link for gaim? :(

http://gaim.sf.net/

[Atomic]

what do we call the sides for the great Instant Messenger War or perhaps the Gim war

[MrEggsalad]

Heh, read all about my take on this, more in depth here.