AOL Gets into the VoIP Game
Later this month, America Online will offer a free VoIP number to users of its AOL Instant Messenger. AIM users will be able to sign up for a phone number and receive incoming calls for free.
Outgoing calls, international calls, and long distance calls will be available for a flat $14.90 monthly fee. The service, dubbed AIM Phone, is expected to launch May 16th.
AOL’s John McKinley told the Wall Street Journal: “Our priorities are all around AIM Phone.”
AIM serves around 41 million users, all of whom will be able to sign up for the free incoming phone service. This is a step up from chat-based VoIP services, such as the one that comes built in to Apple’s iChat client. iChat transparently connects to AOL’s AIM network and allows audio chatting with any other AIM or .Mac user with a microphone. But the new AOL service adds a phone number to the mix, which is obviously a more desirable feature.
No word yet on whether AIM Phone or AIM Phone Line Unlimited will work with any third-party clients — or on any operating systems other than Windows.
