America Online Launches Next Generation Version of AOL Instant Messenger Service --AIM--.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 5, 2004 -- Live Video, Account Linking and Online Gaming See gaming. Give Consumers Even More Opportunities to Share Experiences and Connect Online -- Compatible with Apple's iChat AV Application, AIM Taps into Active Video Conferencing See videoconferencing. (communications) video conferencing - A discussion between two or more groups of people who are in different places but can see and hear each other using electronic communications. Community America Online See AOL. , Inc., the world's leading interactive services company, today announced the launch of the most recent upgrade to the popular AOL (A division of Time Warner, Inc., New York, NY, www.aol.com) The world's largest online information service with access to the Internet, e-mail, chat rooms and a variety of databases and services. (R) Instant Messenger AOL's instant messaging service. See AIM and instant messaging. (TM) (AIM(R)) service with new features including live video instant messaging The inclusion of video in an instant messaging (IM) system, turning it into a two-way video conference. For example, in 2003, Apple introduced its iSight video camera for use with its iChat instant messaging. See instant messaging. compatible with Apple's popular iChat AV video conferencing application, account linking and online games. AIM version 5.5 is available today via a free download at www.aim.com. Designed to give users a more expressive instant messaging Exchanging text messages in real time between two or more people logged into a particular instant messaging (IM) service. Instant messaging is more interactive than e-mail because messages are sent immediately, whereas e-mail messages can be queued up in a mail server for seconds or experience, AIM's new version offers a number of new advanced instant messaging capabilities that extend the vibrant social interaction that takes place within the AIM community. For the first time, users will have the ability to conduct live video instant messaging conversations, link up and manage multiple AIM screen names from the same session, and invite their buddies to play online games through their instant messaging connection. The new live video instant messaging feature in AIM 5.5 is fully compatible with iChat AV 2.1, Apple's breakthrough video conferencing technology. Now AOL users from a PC can tap into the worldwide community of iChat AV users on Macs. iChat AV 2.1, the latest version of iChat AV was released by Apple today and is available for free download at www.apple.com/ichat/ . "With the increased popularity of instant messaging both for fun and for work, our focus is innovating so that AIM users have new advanced features that allow them to create more interactive instant messaging experiences," said Ed Fish, Senior Vice President and General Manager, AOL Desktop Messaging. "With enhanced new features including video conferencing with both AIM users and the large community of Apple's iChat AV users, AIM 5.5 offers additional tools to help stay in touch, be more productive and be more entertained." "With the introduction of iChat AV in Mac OS X 'Panther' and the iSight camera, Apple revolutionized the way people communicate with each other over the Internet," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "Now iChat AV users can video conference with their AOL buddies around the world who use PCs." The AIM service is at the center of one of the largest and most active communities online. Touched by more than 50 million active users(1) each month and supported by a network infrastructure that handles nearly two billion instant messages each day, the AOL Instant Messenger See AIM. network makes it possible for people from around the world to communicate with each other via text, audio or video all in real time, and to engage in other shared activities, such as casual gaming. Key Features of AIM 5.5 include: -- Live Video Instant Messaging: For the first time, AIM users now have the ability to engage in live streaming video A one-way video transmission over a data network. It is widely used on the Web as well as company networks to play video clips and video broadcasts. Computers in home networks stream video to digital media hubs connected to a home theater. conversations with others via their instant messaging connection. With only a web cam See Webcam. , microphone and one click on the video button in AIM 5.5, users can start a live video/audio conversation with other AIM users from just about anywhere in the world. -- AIM Games: By clicking on the "games" button within the AIM Buddy List A list of colleagues, workgroup members, friends, etc., that you might wish to communicate with via instant messaging. See instant messaging. (R) feature, users can find and invite friends to compete in online interactive games. Not only can AIM users invite and play online games with others, but they can also instant message with those they're playing with, making for a more interactive and competitive gaming environment. -- AIM Account Linking: With account linking, users with multiple screen names can sign onto AIM once, and have all of their screen names appear online. Users can view multiple buddy lists from a single location, choose to have all their instant messages from multiple screen names automatically forwarded to a single AIM account, and link icons, expressions and other messaging features to these different names. Users can, for example, maintain work and home personalities, family and gaming personas, all linked up to their chosen features. Account linking also works with special screen names for love.com, a new real-time personals service featuring the AOL Instant Messenger service. Availability AIM 5.5 is available today at www.aim.com. Video functionality is free and available to users using the Microsoft Windows See Windows. (operating system) Microsoft Windows - Microsoft's proprietary window system and user interface software released in 1985 to run on top of MS-DOS. Widely criticised for being too slow (hence "Windoze", "Microsloth Windows") on the machines available then. XP operating system operating system (OS) Software that controls the operation of a computer, directs the input and output of data, keeps track of files, and controls the processing of computer programs. . iChat AV 2.1 Public Beta was released by Apple today and is available for free download at www.apple.com/ichat/ . About AIM The AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) service is the most convenient, easy-to use instant messaging product on the Web. Popular AIM features include the Buddy List for presence awareness, privacy controls, file transfer, custom away messages, buddy icons, buddy chat, account linking, games, live video IM and AIM Talk. AIM is available for use on computers, mobile phones and other handheld devices. About America Online, Inc. America Online, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary Wholly Owned Subsidiary A subsidiary whose parent company owns 100% of its common stock. Notes: In other words, the parent company owns the company outright and there are no minority owners. of Time Warner, Inc. Based in Dulles, Virginia, America Online is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce services. (1) commScore Media Metrix (Dec. 03) |
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