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AIM’s Formula for Success: Buddy Lists, IM Partnerships, and the Enterprise

David Cotriss

In the world of instant messaging, few services come close to the popularity of AIM, and no one can beat AIM in terms of longevity. The communication tool was launched as a feature of the first version of the AOL dialup service in 1989, according to AOL technology fellow Edwin Aoki.

AIM has come a long way since then. It now incorporates voice and video, and has more than 100 million users worldwide. Aside from the sheer size of its user base, continued innovation and partnerships in the enterprise IM space have allowed it to maintain its dominant position.

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