AIM Pro Features Free Conferencing Tools
By ANICK JESDANUN
AP Internet Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- A new, business version of AOL's popular AIM
instant-messaging software features free conferencing tools from WebEx
Communications Inc.
AIM Pro, released Wednesday, also promises more security, including
encryption of communications with other AIM Pro users and automatic virus
scanning for incoming files. Regular AIM users can be contacted, though
without the encryption.
Instant-messaging took off among home users first, but in recent years
employees have installed the software, usually on their own, as an
alternative to phones and e-mail. AOL designed AIM Pro expressly with
businesses in mind.
Key to it is technology from WebEx letting employees who work in separate
locations simultaneously view the same documents, Web sites and other
presentations. A manager, for instance, could show a pie chart and make
notes on it for everyone to instantly see.
AIM Pro, like the consumer AIM, is a free download for anyone. John
McKinley, president of AOL digital services, said the company hoped to make
money by driving users to AOL's ad-supported sites - for instance, a page
with more details about a company after seeing a stock quote.
"AIM has succeeded because it's been a free product from the beginning," he
said. "In some regards, we want to play off what's worked for us."
The free WebEx offering through AIM Pro only applies to two-person
conferencing, though McKinley said users may pay WebEx standard rates to
conduct larger conferences. WebEx normally charges 33 cents a minute per
participant under its pay-per-use plan.
The move comes as AOL considers making even more of its services, including
e-mail accounts with AOL.com addresses, available for free through
ad-supported sites, forgoing some subscription revenues for parent Time
Warner Inc. in the short term.
Later this year, AOL plans to offer a paid version of AIM Pro for Wall
Street and heavily regulated firms that need to monitor or archive IM
traffic. But the regular edition should work for most businesses, McKinley
said.
http://www.aol.com/aimpro
Gregory S. Williams
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