AOL's instant messaging service AIM doesn't want to be beaten by the web's latest and most popular social networking and publishing tools, so it has decided to join them — by launching the AIM Lifestream application that lets people update, follow and reply to messages on Twitter, Facebook, and Digg.
Users can read Facebook streams on their iPhone client or desktop app, and reply, with their responses showing up immediately. Users can also send SMS messages to friends.
In short, AOL wants AIM to become the dashboard for the net's most popular social networks. The company announced the product at the TechCrunch50 conference in San Francisco on Tuesday, noting, somewhat bittersweetly, that its software had long let users set status messages — a feature which Twitter turned into the hottest publishing company in the world.
Given its legacy popularity, don't count AOL out. In fact, its software could now become the dominant plaform for Twitter, just from its already established presence. While the product launches in full on September 22, release versions are available already and the capablities are built into AOL's premium, ad-free iPhone app.
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