Odigo has restored access for users of America Online's AIM messenger to Odigo's own software. Interoperability between the two messengers was blocked by AOL two days ago.
Odigo today announced it has restored interoperability between its instant messaging software and America Online's AIM messenger software. Two days ago, AOL blocked the users of Odigo software from accessing users of AIM, AOL's instant messaging software.
Odigo cited "the interest of the users" to justify its move. It is still not clear how AOL will react to the provocative measure taken by the Israeli company.
After AOL blocked interoperability, Odigo general manager Shai Buber said, "The blockage is tantamount to a recognition of status. So far AOL hasn't bothered with young companies." Buber added that since May 31, when Odigo set up interoperability with AIM, the number of its users increase by 100,000.
AOL offers two instant messengers: ICQ, with 50 million users, and AIM, which has tens of millions of users as well. Interoperability between Odigo's software and ICQ has not been blocked, and users of these two software types may chat with each other.
Published by Israel's Business Arena on 14 June, 2000