Motorola and AOL fall in love again

NEWS Motorola and AOL announced today they will be working together to bring AOL's instant messaging service to next generation Motorola products - repeating an announcement originally made in 1999. The pair first revealed the same deal three years ago when Motorola showcased mobile AOL instant messaging (AIM) prototypes at the Telecom '99 show in Geneva. In October 1999 both Motorola and AOL said the first mobile AIM products would be available in early 2000, yet they were not. The deal is crucial for AOL because it provides a platform for the ISP to begin making money from its popular instant message service. Motorola was unable to comment on the repeated announcement. The handset giant and AOL have already been beaten to the post by Genie, which launched its own instant message service with BT Cellnet last week. Microsoft is preparing to launch Stinger, an instant message platform which will run on its own smart phone and Orange is also developing its own instant message platform alongside its parent, France Telecom and the French incumbent's ISP, Wanadoo.