Rivals Push For Open AOL Instant Messenger

Companies competing with America Online in the growing instant messaging market segment are reportedly
making last-minute pitches to the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) for concessions in AOL's pending merger with
Time Warner.

An Associated Press report today said Microsoft Inc. Chairman Bill Gates is among those lobbying the
commission as it moves slowly toward finalizing the $111 billion
marriage. Other companies, including ExciteAtHome,
Microsoft and AT&T, are urging the agency to require AOL to work toward making its instant messaging service
compatible with their systems. The lobbyists want their users to
be able to send real-time messages to each other while using
different services, making instant messaging similar to how
users now communicate via different e-mail providers or complete
phone calls through more than one telephone network.

AP said that Gates has made personal calls to FCC members to
stress his point. FCC staff have already recommended an instant
messaging condition to the five commissioners, but that
suggestion would apply more narrowly to advanced instant
messaging services offered over Time Warner's cable lines and
would require AOL to make its system work only with Time
Warner.