Get AIM (or ICQ) in your Gmail

John Chan | Dec 05, 2007

Instant messaging (IM) in Gmail has been around for a while. You find it along the left side of the screen after logging in to Google's email service. All this time, this is limited to using the Google Talk service and so only lets you communicate with friends who are also using Gmail. Well, today's good news is the Gmail team has integrated AIM into this chat box, too.

AIM, you say? Yes, it isn't the most popular messaging service around this part of the world, but it does own ICQ, one of the pioneers in this space which was once very popular in Asia. If you are one of those still using ICQ, you can log in using your Gmail browser window. Just key in your ICQ login details when it asks for your AIM login, and voila, your long list of contacts will appear.

So how is this useful? Well, if your company blocks you from using IM clients on your computer, this will circumvent that. Chat with your friends while all this time, your autocratic IT admin thinks you are just checking your email. The only problem we foresee is that most of your friends probably ditched ICQ for Windows Live Messenger already. Well, you can make new AIM friends then, as there are millions of them in the US.

The Official Gmail Blog (via Notcot)

Filed under: PC & Peripherals
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