AOL Gives AIM an Extreme Makeover
America Online is giving its AIM instant messaging software a complete overhaul, including a major redesign of the user interface and a remodeled underlying code architecture.
The user interface is being altered to take into account that instant messaging now goes beyond simple PC-to-PC text exchanges and also includes video and audio communication, as well as connections with wireless devices.
Meanwhile, the code architecture is being transformed to integrate into the product some important software advancements that have become available in recent years.
A early beta version of this next-generation AIM, code-named Triton, is now available for free download at beta.aol.com.
"This [early] beta is the first of many steps we're taking to improve this application. Over the coming months going into the fall what you'll see is that every few weeks there will be an incremental improvement made to the product," says Chamath Palihapitiya, vice president and general manager of AIM and ICQ at Dulles, Virginia-based AOL. "By the end of the fall, it will be more than a beta, more of a full product that we feel comfortable upgrading people to and recommending as a next step for AIM."
Before Triton exits its beta, or test, phase, there will be one last upgrade to the current AIM 5.9 software, an initiative that isn't related to the Triton project.
America Online is giving its AIM instant messaging software a complete overhaul, including a major redesign of the user interface and a remodeled underlying code architecture.
The user interface is being altered to take into account that instant messaging now goes beyond simple PC-to-PC text exchanges and also includes video and audio communication, as well as connections with wireless devices.
Meanwhile, the code architecture is being transformed to integrate into the product some important software advancements that have become available in recent years.
A early beta version of this next-generation AIM, code-named Triton, is now available for free download at beta.aol.com.
"This [early] beta is the first of many steps we're taking to improve this application. Over the coming months going into the fall what you'll see is that every few weeks there will be an incremental improvement made to the product," says Chamath Palihapitiya, vice president and general manager of AIM and ICQ at Dulles, Virginia-based AOL. "By the end of the fall, it will be more than a beta, more of a full product that we feel comfortable upgrading people to and recommending as a next step for AIM."
Before Triton exits its beta, or test, phase, there will be one last upgrade to the current AIM 5.9 software, an initiative that isn't related to the Triton project.
