Maybe America Online doesn't want any new buddies after all.
Nearly a year after publishing software specifications that make it possible for outside developers to tap into AOL's highly popular "buddy list" service, AOL has asked at least one rival to pay for the right to link into, and exchange messages with, its AOL Instant Messenger system.
Prodigy Communications, which in May launched a test of an instant messaging service interoperable with AOL Instant Messenger, now is being blocked by AOL when users try to send or receive messages from Prodigy's primary network to users on the AOL system.
AOL also has asked Prodigy for payments to make the AOL messaging system interoperable with the Prodigy offering, according to Prodigy Chief Technology Officer Bill Kirkner.
"Based on the actions of AOL, it appears they are trying to set up a proprietary standard where they possibly can define the features that will be available and set fees for its use," Kirkner said.
The skirmish sets the stage for a broader open standards battle over the future of instant messaging, an application that paves the way for selling a range of lucrative services, such as Net telephony and videoconferencing.
AOL and Microsoft also have exchanged competitive volleys related to the issue of instant messaging interoperability.
On Thursday, Microsoft unveiled a new instant messaging service that allowed its registered users to exchange messages in real time with users of AOL's instant messaging service.
By late Thursday night, AOL had changed a series of protocols that temporarily blocked interoperability with the Microsoft service. By Friday afternoon, Microsoft had posted a revised version of its messaging product that addressed that AOL changes and made the Microsoft service interoperable once more.
"They purposely broke functionality," said Microsoft spokesman Tim Fry ."That's pretty much clear."
Microsoft intends to continue to respond to AOL's attempts to block its service. "MSN is going to do anything it can to make interoperability a reality," Fry said.
Kirkner said he plans to call for an industry meeting of access providers and portal services in September aimed at accelerating the development of an open standard for instant messaging services.
Such a discussion has been under way at industry standards-making bodies for more than a year. The September meeting, however, will seek the quick adoption of specifications that can be put into place quickly and certified later by industry groups, Kirkner said.
AOL dominates the instant messaging services market, owning both the AOL Instant Messenger and ICQ services that, combined, have nearly 80 million registered users exchanging 750 million messages daily.
Several companies, including InfoSpace.com, Microsoft and Tribal Voice, have launched or are developing instant messaging services that bill themselves as interoperable with AOL Instant Messenger.
While only Prodigy has yet reported AOL attempts to block access to its instant messaging service, no guarantees exist that AOL will keep the server up and running that gives outside companies access to the instant messaging service.
Barry Schuler, president of AOL Interactive Services, said the company is eager to work with companies on issues of interoperability. AOL is merely maintaining tight controls to ensure a good experience for consumers using the service, he added.
The company also is willing to license access to its AOL Instant Messaging user base in much the same way that AOL has struck agreements in the past to land on prime real estate on the Windows operating system.
"If they want access to our audience, same thing, we would work with them," Schuler said of a potential instant messaging partnership with Microsoft. "If they introduce interoperability without a deal with us, it's a hack, and it doesn't really work."
