AOL Introduces New Mail and Instant Messaging Products

AOL announced today that it has released the first free, Web-based e-mail service with full AIM integration into beta, http://beta.aol.com/webmail, which lets users simultaneously e-mail and IM from the same application using the most popular instant messaging service in the U.S. AOL has also launched the new AIM WIMZI Widget (http://wimzi.aim.com ), allowing bloggers, website owners and consumers with social networking profiles to instant message easily and privately with site visitors.

“We continue to enhance our products to offer a seamless and fully integrated online communications experience,” said Kevin Conroy, Executive Vice President, AOL. “With the introduction of Web Mail with AIM and the AIM WIMZI widget, we are making it easier for people to communicate online without opening multiple applications.”

The new AOL® Mail beta is part of a series of improvements designed to make the service more accessible, convenient and even easier to use. AOL also announced that, in addition to IMAP support, it now also offers POP3 access, which lets users access their AOL Mail using any Internet mail client program. AOL is now the only major provider to offer free POP3 and IMAP access to email. AOL Mail also includes unlimited e-mail storage, which the service has offered since 2005, and is now extending to its aim.com and “My eAddress” users.

The new AIM® WIMZI™ widget communicates with the widget owner’s AIM client and is directly integrated with the owner’s AIM® Buddy List™ feature, enabling site, blog and social networking profile visitors to initiate an IM conversation when the owner is signed on to AIM. A widget owner’s online presence status is indicated with a highlighted icon and screen names and identities are protected through customized owner and visitor aliases. The widget is customizable in either Adobe® Flash® or Sun™ Javascript™.