Mark your calendars because today is a historic day for a previously iconic service. AOL is shutting down AOL Instant Messenger, aka AIM, after 20 yers of existence. In October, AOL announced that it would no longer exists and was no longer needed because people have found new ways to communicate, and AIM isn’t as streamline as it use to be.
“AIM tapped into new digital technologies and ignited a cultural shift, but the way in which we communicate with each other has profoundly changed,” wrote Michael Albers, communications products VP at Oath.
AIM’s shutdown has been known for quite some time and it was expected to come. This is especially since AOL revoked access to AIM from third-party clients this March. AIM lasted for 20 years, which is impressive itself. I personally never thought that the service would last this long. I hadn’t thought about the service sine I was in middle school, so it feels like the end of an era with AIM closing its doors.
