AOL Targets Enterprise Instant Messaging

By Richard Karpinski

Following months of watching startups attack its public instant messaging (IM) service as too consumer-oriented, America Online on Monday delivered a new gateway that provides enterprise-class features but also provides easy access to its 180 million IM users.

AOL's new AIM Enterprise Gateway manages corporate IM behind company firewalls, providing features such as chat logging, auditing and local routing of instant messages.

In addition, enterprises can centrally set up and take down screen names, map users to a corporate directory and set up user controls via an optional add-on dubbed Private Domain Service with Federated Authentication.

All that is missing in the first release is security -- a key requirement for many enterprises. AOL says it will add encryption via a partnership with Verisign early next year, but both IM users in a conversation will need encryption capabilities to make it work.

Corporate instant messaging has attracted a slew of upstarts that aim to take over where consumer IM comes up short. Vendors such as Jabber, Omnipod, Akonix, LinqWare, and others have rolled out enterprise IM platforms in recent months.

AOL also delivered developer kits to allow company's to extend its IM capabilities and presence awareness capabilities to other applications.

The AIM Enterprise Gateway embeds technology from FaceTime Communications, a leading provider of IM applications and enterprise IM technology servers for businesses. AOL worked with Apple to develop its authentication and directory technology.

AOL is supporting the gateway as an enterprise-class product, offering dedicated professional services, support, and training.

AIM Enterprise Gateway is available now.