Open AIM 2.0, New APIs and partners including Meebo & eBuddy

[SULAX50]

Over two years ago we launched Open AIM by releasing the Windows Software Development Kit that allowed developers to write custom clients, bots and plugins for the Windows AIM client. Since March 2006, we have released SDKs for the Mac, Linux and PocketPC platforms, as well as AIM Web APIs that allowed developers to build AIM onto websites via embeddable widgets, javascript, or XML.

Today we are adding more exciting ways of integrating and leveraging the AIM network. First, we are documenting the AIM protocol, known as OSCAR. Doing this will allow clients built using libraries such as libPurple, and other open source solutions to be enhanced to take advantage of all our protocol. Second, we are simplifying our license agreement, and removing restrictions to allow you to create the applications you and your users want. For example, we will now allow developers to build clients that incorporate other Instant Messaging services, using our SDKs, protocols and libraries. Third, we will allow developers to build compelling mobile applications for all different mobile devices. Fourth, we are removing limitations on developers from building business and enterprise applications. Fifth, AIM Web APIs now support php and AMF3 return formats for easier server and flash integration. Lastly, we are giving our developer website a huge face lift. On the new site, you will find better message boards, easier to navigate documentation and samples, and additional APIs that AOL has to offer. For developers the new website also will include some basic statistics of your application, plugin or bot.

After listening to you, the Open AIM Developer Community, we have also streamlined the process of building applications, plugins and bots. In the past we required developers of custom client applications, plugins and bots to provide a key and fingerprint to get their application authenticated on to the AIM network. We have simplified this by making the fingerprint check optional. In addition, all keys have unlimited usage. For the AIM Web APIs we are removing the requirement for URL referrer checks, which also means fewer hurdles to develop applications and makes for a better user experience.

By further opening up the AIM developer program, we are providing a better experience for all our users whether they are using the flagship Windows AIM client or Meebo in a Firefox browser. At the same time, we are giving developers the opportunity to build applications using best in breed tools and protocol. In order to best support these efforts and ensure that our users receive a high-quality AIM experience, we do require that developers include some specific elements in their applications. However, we have done our best to keep these requirements to a minimum, resulting in greater flexibility for developers and an enhanced AIM experience for their users. We have created a list, from which developers can pick a minimum of 2 items to integrate into their Web AIM or Custom Client application. The list includes:

- displaying advertising

- providing a link to installing the AIM Toolbar

- displaying a users expression/buddy icon as well as providing a link to letting the user set their expression

- displaying a user's buddy info

- displaying the AIM Startpage

Developers can change out these items as they determine what best suits the needs of their users and their application. We will be adding new options to the list to further increase the flexibility available to the developer, and in the near-term will be adding other beneficial enhancements such as a revenue-share program for displayed advertising.

In conclusion, over the past two years we have seen tremendous growth and excitement over the Open AIM program, and today is just another step in giving developers the best messaging and synchronous communication platform in the world to build on. We know that for our users this change will continue to give them the choice in deciding what is the best AIM experience for them.

For more information contact me at http://www.gregsmind.com.

[Veedems Veteran]

Wow this is huge news, especially the allowance of other services in the same application. Major credit to AOL for being the most open with it's network.

[Doli]

(Y) good job AOL

[Tokar]

Indeed, good job aol. Maybe Pidgin aim-based file transfers will be more robust in the near future. I always seem to have issues sending files to certain people on my list.

Edited March 6, 2008 by Tokar

[giga Veteran]

Glad to see Oscar finally documented. Adium lead developers comments:

Open AIM and Open Source

Evan Schoenberg, lead developer of the Adium project, an OS X IM client that uses the Free Software library libpurple, said signs that Open AIM was increasing its openness came weeks in advance of today's announcement. In an interview with Instant Messaging Planet, Schoenberg said he spoke with John Bracken, director of business development with AIM Business Services, along with another employee involved in AIM's development; about the ways in which Free Software and Open Source developers can take advantage of OpenAIM 2.0.

Schoenberg said his ongoing interactions with AIM personnel are a new and encouraging development in the relationship between AIM and Free Software developers who write clients that work over the AIM network. At the same time, he said that even with the updated Open AIM, concerns remain that may prohibit Free Software developers from using everything the new API and its attendant libraries provide.

"It's legally impossible for Adium to join OpenAIM so far as I can tell," said Schoenberg. "I'm not a lawyer," he continued, "but I do know the GPL -- the GNU Public License under which Adium is distributed." The GPL provides a way for programmers to share the source code to their applications with other programmers while requiring the recipients to share any changes they make with others, and it prohibits the recipients from placing further restrictions on redistribution of their changes.

According to Schoenberg, "the OpenAIM Developer license is riddled with the phrase 'AOL grants you a free-of-charge, limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable license during the Term...,' however, the GPL is inherently transferable; it would be a clear violation of the license to link into the program code which I could not distribute in source form with the same terms I used myself." In turn, he said, that rules out the use of the libraries AOL provides with the Open AIM SDK.

At the same time, even though some elements of Open AIM may be off-limits to developers working with software under a Free Software or Open Source license, those developers do have open access to more documentation than AOL has previously made public.

"AOL has done more than just released their prebuilt libraries with new, less restrictive terms," he said. "They've also published some documentation on the OSCAR protocol, the first time this has been done by AOL, and that's a great move on their part; I'm happy to see them doing so."

Schoenberg said that, unlike the libraries included with the OpenAIM SDK, the information in the newly opened documentation is freely accessible and does not require acceptance of the Open AIM license to use.

According to Schoenberg, the documentation "doesn't change the state-of-the-art for the open source community," but he plans to investigate whether voice and video elements of AIM's protocols are now documented, which would advance the efforts of projects like his to include those technologies in their clients.

http://www.instantmessagingplanet.com/publ...cle.php/3732361