"We're taking this approach because we believe this will help release a new wave of creativity in the developer community, and we want to make it easier for consumers to connect with anyone, anywhere on the Web," said AIM Senior Product Manager Stephen Benedict. "We're providing companies, communities, and developers access to the AIM platform and access to our community of users worldwide."

Justin Uberti, chief architect of AIM, said the developer toolkit will give marketers the chance to design their own branded AIM clients, as well as plugins to make AIM interoperable with their own Web or software products--such as a plugin that allows users to display what song they're listening to on iTunes, and see which songs their friends are listening to, a plugin that the AIM team created themselves.

The opening of the AIM code will not, however, open AOL's network for interoperability between other companies' services, such as Yahoo Messenger or Google Talk.

According to Uberti, opening the network for interoperability doesn't have a business benefit for AOL, and it could compromise the security of the network.

Jupiter Research analyst Joe Wilcox said keeping AOL Instant Messenger's network closed off from the other major IM players is a savvy business move. "Messaging has become a very important online activity that no longer is just about messaging--it also touches other activities that people do online, and that opens up a lot of revenue opportunities," Wilcox said. But the deal still is a significant one, Wilcox said. "Given AOL's position on its network, this is quite a startling development, in a good way," he said.

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