AOL Begins Beta Testing AIM Pro
AOL on Wednesday released a public beta of AIM Pro, the company's instant messaging client tailored for businesses. The software is based upon the AIM Triton platform and integrates online meetings and live demonstrations with desktop sharing using technology from WebEx.
AIM Pro has a streamlined interface that's more appropriate for corporate environments. The Pro version will become the recommended client for business users, while Triton remains consumer oriented. AOL hopes to ride the growing wave of instant messaging among business users.
According to a recent survey by The Radicati Group, IM has become a key collaboration tool for 135 million workers, with usage expected to soar to over 477 million by 2009.
AIM Pro delivers added security over Triton with message encryption, along with the voice and video capabilities offered by the WebEx MediaTone Network. The software will connect with AOL AIM, ICQ and Apple iChat users, as well as business-oriented IM clients through the AIM Clearinghouse service.
The new client also integrates with Outlook to enable users to see their instant messages, calendar and e-mails in one place.
Microsoft is making its own inroads into enterprise messaging with the launch of Office Communicator, which integrates voice, video and text messaging into a single client. A mobile and Web based version of the software also were released for mobile devices like smartphones.
AIM Pro 1.0.2 Build 110 Beta is available for download from FileForum.