Web site: my.screenname.aol.com (not active)
Category: Network
Subcategory: Instant Messengers
Platform: Windows/Windows Mobile, OS X, iOS, Android/Android TV, BlackBerry OS
License: Proprietary
Interface: GUI
Wikipedia: AIM_(software)
First release: 1997
AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) – a free instant messaging client created by AOL, available as a standalone application or as an extension for the Netscape Navigator browser.
It is based on the OSCAR and TOC protocols. It allows users to send messages to friends, share webcam images, transfer files, conduct voice calls, and chat with them.
AIM was popular in the late 1990s in the United States and other countries, and for the next decade, it was the leading instant messaging application. AIM’s popularity declined as AOL subscriber numbers began to decline rapidly towards 2010, as Google Talk, SMS, and online social networks like Facebook gained popularity. Its decline is often compared to other once-popular online services, such as Myspace.
In June 2015, AOL was acquired by Verizon Communications. Two years later, in June 2017, Verizon merged AOL and Yahoo! into its subsidiary Oath Inc. (now Yahoo).
As of December 15, 2017, AIM was no longer supported.
