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Keeping Non-Corporate Instant-Messaging Alive?

Posted by Cliff on from the communications-for-the-masses dept.

dc_cypher asks: "Soon after I read these two articles, I stumbled across a secure unified IM client powered by Bantu on a Sprint site. While many people are turning to electronic communications to enhance (and protect) their reachability in the midst of the recent terrorist activities, what can we do to keep these useful non-corporate alternatives from being legally and financially slaughtered, only to end up joining their file-sharing bretheren in the internet graveyard?"

1 of 26 comments (clear)

  1. Re:IM != Cash Cow by gorillasoft · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I don't think their goal is specifically to have people convert from their own ISP to AOL. People already using a different ISP are not too likely to go to AOL - they already know how to use the Interent and probably don't need AOL's handholding.

    I think that AOL likes having as many people using AIM as possible, regardless of the ISP they use, so that they have the largest user base of all messaging solutions. That way, they get to entice new Internet users to AOL by saying "look, all your friends are using AOL for messaging, why don't you get AOL too? It's the easiest way to talk to all of your friends and get that exclusive AOL neighborhood content!"

    Well, something like that anyway. It's more for marketing to new people than for conversion - once someone escapes AOL, they aren't too likely to go back.

    To agree with your main point though, it would certainly appear that IM may not be economically viable as your sole business model.