December 15, 2017 will mark the end of an era as America Online (AOL) will bring it’s long time instant messenger service to an end. AIM became AOL’s pioneer, instant-text based chat application in 1997, becoming iconic for its signature sound effects, which now represent a particular time stamp in internet history before the rise of social media. In an effort to expand in tech and media, Verizon acquired AOL in June 2015 and made another huge acquisition when they acquired Yahoo’s core internet estates in June 2017, placing them both under a subsidiary committed to digital media services, founded in the same month, called Oath Inc. Since then, Oath Inc has housed services acquired from Verizon such as Yahoo, AOL, Engadget, and a diverse number of technology and media brands all under one umbrella. The demise of AIM has been gradual: In March, third party services from AIM began to receive the axe; years prior, we witnessed the structure at AOL begin to crumble when AOL laid off most of their staff, halting any further development on AIM. There is no word on AIM’s future or if there will be a replacement, but Oath’s VP of communications, Michael Albers released this statement: “..the way in which we communicate with each other has profoundly changed…We are more excited than ever to continue building the next generation of iconic brands and life-changing products..” AIM was such a great communication medium that the world let go of as the internet evolved; it will surely be missed.
