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AOL Begins Beta Testing AIM Pro

By Nate Mook, BetaNews

June 14, 2006, 12:15 PM

AOL on Wednesday released a public beta of AIM Pro, the company's instant messaging client tailored for businesses. The software is based upon the AIM Triton platform and integrates online meetings and live demonstrations with desktop sharing using technology from WebEx.

AIM Pro has a streamlined interface that's more appropriate for corporate environments. The Pro version will become the recommended client for business users, while Triton remains consumer oriented. AOL hopes to ride the growing wave of instant messaging among business users.

According to a recent survey by The Radicati Group, IM has become a key collaboration tool for 135 million workers, with usage expected to soar to over 477 million by 2009.

AIM Pro delivers added security over Triton with message encryption, along with the voice and video capabilities offered by the WebEx MediaTone Network. The software will connect with AOL AIM, ICQ and Apple iChat users, as well as business-oriented IM clients through the AIM Clearinghouse service.

The new client also integrates with Outlook to enable users to see their instant messages, calendar and e-mails in one place.

Microsoft is making its own inroads into enterprise messaging with the launch of Office Communicator, which integrates voice, video and text messaging into a single client. A mobile and Web based version of the software also were released for mobile devices like smartphones.

AIM Pro 1.0.2 Build 110 Beta is available for download from FileForum.

Add a Comment (8 Comments)

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By CheshireDragon

posted Jun 14, 2006 - 7:37 PM

Where I work we use ICQ to chat back and forth with each other. We have and internal ICQ server so, of course, it is only avail when here at work. Takes about 2 sec to load. It has broadcasting ability to get imortant info out to us quickly and i would say works way better then AIM....thats if it didn't crash just about everyime you go into the history.

Score: 0

By Intrusive_Rogue

edited Jun 14, 2006 - 3:32 PM

Great a Business Application for the Computer Inept business owner.

And just who do they expect that these business owners are going to be chatting with? Other inept AOL users?

Actualy that may not be such a bad idea since they all have money to burn. :0

Score: 0

By frankwick

posted Jun 14, 2006 - 3:05 PM

This is proof that the company first to market is not the winner. Lotus released SameTime about 7 years for corporate IM. I think once again they were ahead of their time and people didn't understand the full benefit of corp IM. Of course, the lack-luster Lotus marketing didn't help either. They still sell it: http://www-142.ibm.com/software/sw-lotus/products/product3.nsf/wdocs/homepage

Score: 0

By redfuzzydog

posted Jun 14, 2006 - 3:04 PM

I tried the software today, and really like it (beta and all)! This is AIM getting back to its roots as a communication tool for me. I loved the Outlook integration, and the fact they were trying to be a complement to Outlook (vs trying to replace it). Like the way the desktop meeting stuff works - a one click experience, versus the complicated experiences I am used to. Lean and mean.

Score: 0

By eclipsingdivinity

posted Jun 14, 2006 - 1:39 PM

Testing AIM pro and so far I say 'screw corporations' this is a GREAT desktop software! Much less bloated than Triton, less of the crap to sift through. Offers the stuff you need. It's excellent, granted buggy, but i'm completely shocked that AOL has the capacity to release such a usable product.

Score: 0

By rijp

posted Jun 14, 2006 - 12:18 PM

I don't know about anyone else, but with each version, they are less and less tolerant of firewalls and gateways.

We have many users with the older version of AIM. They work fine. As soon as the upgrade to the more recent versions, no more function!

What is up with that? Obviously if people are STILL using the older versions and they work fine, SOMETHING is amiss with the new AIM, no?

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jun 14, 2006 - 3:55 PM

SOMETHING is amiss with the new AIM, no?

It's the 'A' in 'AIM', you see.

Stands for AOL. Kinda tells ya all you need to know, don't it?

Score: 0

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