AOL offers APIs & widgets to get AIM on more web sites

Stuart Corner
Tuesday, 07 November 2006 00:06

Your IT - Home IT

AOL has released beta versions of new Web-based application programming interfaces (APIs) and embeddable widgets to enable developers to integrate Web-based access to the AIM instant messaging service directly into their Web sites and online communities.

The APIs and widgets, known as AIM Whimsicals, are available at http://developer.aim.com and are an extension of AOL's Open AIM program, launched in March 2006 to "empower companies, communities and independent developers to build customised plugins, communications clients and mashups that access AOL's global instant messaging network." AOL claims that more than 50,000 developers have registered for the initiative.

The API programme, Web AIM, enables developers to integrate a range of functions directly into their Web sites:
- Presence, to let AIM users get and set their availability, away message and profile;
- IM Window, to enable AIM users to send and receive IMs from the site;
- Buddy List, to let AIM users view their own Buddy List feature on the site;
- Expressions, to let AIM users access and edit their buddy icons, wallpaper, smileys, and sounds from the site.

The AIM Whimsicals enable developers and AIM users to "easily integrate AIM features and functionality into their Web sites with just a few lines of HTML," according to AOL. These can include:
- IM Window, which enables users to send and receive IMs. The sender's online presence is indicated to the recipient only.
- Buddy List, which enables AIM users to create mash-ups with their Buddy List based on user-defined criteria. In addition, this widget allows AIM users to see buddy info, including online, idle and away time, user profile and away message on screen name mouse-over.
- Get Info, which displays the AIM user's availability, away message, profile and buddy icon via a separate window.