AIM a la carte?

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It’s no mystery to anyone that AIM has become quite bloated over the years, but other than a few reverse engineers trying to profit from AOL’s IM network, users have been limited to running older versions of the software if they didn’t like the new one. The problem with older versions was that they often had issues establishing Direct Connections and file transfers with newer versions. However, with the newly released AIM Developer “lego set”, developers and hobbyists alike can finally make their own version of the IM program to their tastes. One could build a version that minimizes system load and offers only the essentials, or a version with all the bells and whistles you could ever need.

“The next wave of opportunities will come as a result of allowing developers to innovate,” Kevin Conroy, executive vice president of AOL Media Networks, said in an interview.

AIM, whose services reach some 63 million users, is seen by the company as a critical component to enable it to play a larger role in the social networking market, where users meet new people through existing contacts.

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