AOL, AIM redesign home, Today screen

August 17, 2005

America Online, Inc. and the AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) service today have announced the debut of a new AIM.com home page and a redesigned AIM Today companion screen. The new AIM.com and AIM Today offer “a fresh look and feel,” and AIM Today will be updated four times every day. Both redesigns provide users with easier access to the users’ preferred communications services while offering topical content and interactive features from third-party partners and America Online, Inc.

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The company has also begun rolling out a system-wide upgrade of the AIM 5.9 service, which will introduce the new AIM Today and deliver the AOL Explorer browser as an optional feature for AIM users. The tabbed AOL Explorer browser offers an enhanced Web browsing experience that has no effect on users’ default browser settings. It also offers integration with the AIM Mail and AOL Mail services for convenient access to e-mail messages.

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According to the announcement, features of the new AIM.com home page include the following:

One-click access to AOL’s instant messaging service and its complete suite of communications offerings. It also includes the free, Web-based AIM Mail service, which allows AIM users to use their AIM screen name as an e-mail address. Further, it offers spam and e-mail virus protection, plus two gigabytes of storage.
User features such as the new AIM Blogs, which supports photo blogging; 40 interactive AIM Games, and approximately 4,000 AIM Expressions (including AOL’s animated 2-D and 3-D buddy icons, buddy sounds and buddy wallpapers) for user personalization.��
An array of IM ‘bots’ that allow users to interact, play and attain information updates in real time.

Features of the new AIM Today companion screen include the following:

A dynamic, content-rich interface that is updated four times throughout the day.
Access to the full range of AOL.com programming and interactive features, including preset and on-demand content from AOL News, AOL Music, AOL Television, AOL Radio, Moviefone and more.
A LiveWeb feature that surfaces what’s “hot” on the Web in real-time.
A full range of AOL Search services for users.
One-click access to the AIM Music Interview of the Week, a casual AIM chat appearing regularly on AOL Music (www.aolmusic.com).
Access to AIM Fight (www.AIMFIGHT.com), which lets AOL members and AIM users see how connected they are to the online community at any given moment. By entering their AOL or AIM screen name, as well as that of a friend, users can square off against their buddies to see how popular they really are, and compare Buddy List rank.�
Coming Soon: A gallery of AIM Profiles, including the option to search user profiles, rate others via the "Rate-A-Buddy" feature and submit photos for others to view.�