• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, February 10, 2010

AOL has opened up AOL Instant Messenger, integrating the popular chat network with Facebook chat. The new version of the AIM software, still in beta, allows users to chat with friends on Facebook without actually having to log into Facebook.

As the granddaddy of instant messaging services, AIM boasts 17 million monthly active users in the U.S. But it has stood by as competing IM providers have gained ground by integrating with aggregators like Meebo, Apple's iChat and Google Chat. Brad Garlinghouse, president for Internet and mobile communications at AOL, told The New York TimesBits blog, AIM's isolationist stance is ending.

"People who use AIM are much more likely to use other parts of the AOL experience. So for us we are looking at creating a more useful product. This is about getting back to basics," he said.