Open AIM gives developers, companies and web communities access to the code base of the AIM network and its text, SMS, voice and video capabilities so they can develop plugins, mashups and other third-party applications that connect to AOL AIM and, in essence, create their own versions of the AIM service.
“What this means is that literally anyone can build a plugin for AIM, an AIM client or a mashup to sell to consumers,” AIM Product Manager Jamie O’Dell said. Mashups are websites or applications that combine elements from different sources. O’Dell added, however, that AOL is not allowing the development of mashups that connect to multiple networks.
The development kit is written using COM, so customizing AIM will be language agnostic. Developers currently can use languages such as C++, VB and C#, with versions for J-Script, Linux, MAC and Windows Mobile devices on the way.
“Having your choice of language to be able to access the [developer kit], we think is going to be a big selling point,” AIM Chief Architect Justin Uberti said. “We're not just reaching out to the C++ community. We're reaching out to basically any type of developer.”
AOL has not announced any limitations regarding content and has said it will allow advertising on creations. The goal, according to a company press release, is to help the company maintain its edge in the instant messaging market, where it faces competition from Microsoft, Yahoo and Google.
The developer kit is free and available here.