AOL, like Microsoft has finally woken up to the true potential of their IM clients, and is now going to rearchitect AIM client to adapt to new market realities. Focus will shift from text to multimedia messaging, including voice and video. AOL VoIP could be a nice plug-in here. Associated Press has details about this next generation IM software, called Triton, which is expected to be released by year end. The tab features (better in AudiumX) is one new feature planned.
AOL engineers took a modular approach in building Triton. That means new features, such as support for Internet-based phones, can be easily added as a block rather than retrofitted into the software as is now the case. Chamath Palihapitiya, general manager of AIM, said, “Would you ever have thought in 1996 that this computer is going to be used for … sending stuff to mobile phones and initiating calls over the Internet?’ he asked. Triton will also incorporate ‘IM Catcher,’ IM’s version of a spam folder. The tool collects all messages from those not on your buddy list.”
7 comments so far
11:46 AM PT
If the IM networks were open, stuff like this would have been delivered a decade ago.
Google could easily eliminate the other networks by introducing a well-implemented Jabber-based, open IM client.
11:48 AM PT
“Would you ever have thought in 1996 that this computer is going to be used for … sending stuff to mobile phones and initiating calls over the Internet?”
Uhmm…yes. More like “fully expected”.
12:01 PM PT
pb, give the guy a break, he works for AOL. :-)
12:52 PM PT
MSN claimed that they upgraded their client for voice and video communication. Now AOL. I wonder whether they are really responses to Skype. I think it is time the ENUM group (http://www.sienum.co.uk/lookup.php) better add mapping capability to MSN, AOL, Yahoo, FWD, SIPPhone ad nausem.
More to the point, is Skype becoming another client that we will have along with these multiple IM clients?
4:41 PM PT
Yes that is true, and i think the ENUM group should try and get its act together. I think it is time the non-skype community got its act together and stop with their geek fetishes over everything.
5:00 PM PT
Aswath, I think SKype has already replaced all the other IM clients for those who are tech-savy. It’s been a long time since I used AIM, but I can’t say that for Skype (both voice and chat).
7:42 AM PT
For the record AIM trialed VoIP with AIM in 1998.
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