AOL's Open AIM Initiative Adds Web IM Services

November 6, 2006; 08:41 AM
Furthering its commitment to providing open access to its popular services, AOL today announced the beta release of new Web-based AIM APIs (application programming interfaces) and embeddable widgets, called AIM Whimsicals, to enable developers to seamlessly integrate Web-based instant messaging functionality for the popular AIM service directly into their Web sites and online communities. Now available at http://developer.aim.com, the new Web AIM APIs and AIM Whimsicals are an extension of AOL’s Open AIM program, which launched in March 2006.

Web AIM provides developers with the tools to create new and innovative experiences on the Web. The APIs enable developers to integrate the following services and functionality directly into their Web sites:

* Presence, to let AIM® users get and set their availability, away message and profile. Friends visiting their site can view users online, idle and away times.

* IM Window, to enable AIM users to send and receive IMs right from their Web page.

* Buddy List, to let AIM users view their own Buddy List feature.

* Expressions, to let AIM users access and edit their buddy icons, wallpaper, smileys, and sounds.

New AIM Whimsicals, embeddable Web-based AIM widgets, enable developers and AIM users to easily integrate AIM functionality into their Web sites with just a few lines of HTML. These include:

* IM Window, which enables users to send and receive IMs. The sender’s online presence is indicated to the recipient only.

* Buddy List, which enables AIM users to create mash-ups with their Buddy List based on user-defined criteria. In addition, this widget allows AIM users to see buddy info, including online, idle and away time, user profile and away message on screen name mouse-over.

* Get Info, which displays the AIM user’s availability, away message, profile and buddy icon via a separate window.

The Open AIM program empowers companies, communities and independent developers to build customized plugins, communications clients and mashups that access AOL’s global instant messaging network. To date, more than 50,000 developers have registered for the Open AIM® Initiative.

AOL provides a range of resources for developers to build customized third-party applications, plug-ins and mashups based on its leading products and services. For more information about available open APIs, tools and documentation for services such as Open AIM, AIM Pages, AIM Phoneline, AOL Video Search, MapQuest, Winamp and others, please visit http://dev.aol.com/.

About the AIM Service

The AIM service (http://www.aim.com) is at the center of one of the largest and most dynamic online and mobile communities. It provides developers with an open and modular platform for development and access to more than 43 million Americans at http://developer.aim.com. The AIM service is a complete communications console that offers instant messaging, email and mobile texting as well as robust voice and video services. Features include a Plaxo-enabled AIM Address Book and integrated access to the AIM Pages, AIM Phoneline, AIM Phoneline Unlimited, AOL Mail, AIM Mail, AOL Radio and AOL Video services.