AOL’s AIM and ICQ

One has to wonder why AOL never attempted or managed to integrate the two instant-messaging (IM) properties, i.e. AIM and ICQ. Was it technically too difficult, or did they just never manage to “digest” their acquisition?

It’s also a lost opportunity in another respect: they could have used the integration process to find a way to let all IM clients/platforms/standards communicate seamlessly with one another, in the same way that even proprietary e-mail systems such as Exchange/Outlook can communicate with all other e-mail clients/back-ends.

I predict that this failure to communicate will eventually result in all the “traditional” IM systems/vendors becoming extinct.

in reference to:

"ICQ, which was once of the most explosive online communications tools, has lagged since AOL bought its popular software for $287 million in 1998, with another $125 million in earnouts for the team then. It was part of an Tel Aviv, Israel, start-up called Mirabilis. While ICQ has about 40 million to 50 million unique monthly visitors and is the No. 1 messaging service in Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Israel and other small countries, its has less traction in the U.S. than bigger rival services from Microsoft (MSFT), Yahoo (YHOO) and Google (GOOG). In addition, Facebook and Twitter have also become major players in the status-update space. AOL’s AIM service, in contrast, is quite strong, typically clocking as one of the top instant-messaging properties."
- AOL to Sell ICQ Instant-Messaging Service | Kara Swisher | BoomTown | AllThingsD (view on Google Sidewiki)