SAN FRANCISCO (06/12/2000) - Instant messaging vendor Odigo Inc. said late Monday that it has restored interoperability with America Online Inc.'s rival software, AOL Instant Messenger (AIM).
Users of Odigo's software wanting to restore interoperability with AIM can download a software patch free of charge from Odigo's Web site at http://www.odigo.com/, the company said in a statement issued Monday.
Odigo announced earlier Monday that AOL on Saturday night blocked users of Odigo's instant messaging software from exchanging messages with AIM users. AOL contends that Odigo and other rival instant messaging (IM) software vendors are effectively "hacking" its system, and that blocking interoperability is a way of safeguarding AOL members from unauthorized users gaining access to their accounts. [See "AOL Blocks Odigo's IM Service," June 12.] AOL has previously blocked other IM services from Microsoft Corp., Yahoo Inc. and AT&T Corp. from interoperating with AIM.
Odigo's software has been interoperating with AOL's other instant messaging product, ICQ, since January.
AOL, in Dulles, Virginia, can be reached at +1-703-448-8700 or via the Internet at http://www.aol.com/. Odigo, based in New York, can be reached via the Internet at http://www.odigo.com/.