New AIM Goes the Way of Cell Phones
When I first heard that the ringtone business was a $1B business, I have to admit that I was not out shocked but also mystified. Not being a teenager by any stretch, the need to download cute background and sound effects for my cell phone has pervaded me on all fronts.
For the past few generations of IM clients, there has been a flow of these types of features added to chat clients, from animated background and emoticons to audio alerts and animated avatars. AOL is set to unleash its latest set of toys on the IM Masses, but this time there's a price to pay.
Earlier this week, the Web company quietly posted a link to the AOL Instant Messenger 5.9 Beta. The update adds a batch of personalization features, such as static and animated buddy icons, sound effects and "wallpaper" images for the IM windows, but these will come at a price.
The company will charge $9.95 for a yearly subscription or $1.95 a month to access these features, AOL spokeswoman Krista Thomas said. AIM users can also buy animated "SuperBuddy" icons outright for $1.95 each or $4.95 for three. Existing icons will remain free.
It's difficult to tell if these features are really desired. Companies often suffer from tunnel vision, the kind that forces innovation that bolts onto "easy-to-update" aspects of a system. Could it be that adding these kinds of features are simply "easier" than offering greater functionality that makes use of the technology more effective or ubiquitous, but requires overhauling the underlying foundation?
The revenues, or lack thereof, of these enhancements should provide some insight into the question.