AOL Opens AOL AIM Phoneline Developer Initiative

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AOL says it is going to open AOL's new AIM Phoneline service to developers. Through the Open AIM Phoneline initiative, device manufacturers and voice application developers alike are invited to create new applications and tools that will extend the value and functionality of the AIM Phoneline service, and introduce new features and peripherals to more than 43 million U.S. AIM users. AOL will unveil three new application programming interfaces in the fall 2006.

AOL's new interfaces will give developers and manufacturers the ability to:
* Personalize the AIM Phoneline service by adding ringback tones and unique ring tones for frequent callers.
* Enable a wide variety of USB devices such as speakerphones and phone adapters that will allow standard cordless phones to initiate and receive calls with the AIM Phoneline service.
* Build new call management functionality into the AIM Phoneline service such as context and relevance-based call handling that could treat each call on the basis of rules that use Caller ID, online presence, calendar activities and more.

At Fall VON 2006 in Boston, AOL will showcase examples using these APIs from the following companies: iotum, a Voice 2.0 company that will show intelligent handling of incoming calls using their iotum Relevance Engine, and MyNuMo, an online content community that enables artists to create, show, and sell digital content that will be demonstrating ringback tones allowing for personalization by caller. The hardware device API will also be featured, and Mvox Technologies will demonstrate examples of its handsfree and wireless MV900 and USB MV100 speakerphones with AIM Phoneline. In addition to these demonstrations, more information on the Open AIM Phoneline program will be available at AOL's booth - #449 - at Fall VON 2006, which is being hosted at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center from September 11-14, 2006.

As part of the Open AIM Phoneline program, AOL will promote its partners' applications and devices at an online store that users can assess by simply clicking the "Shop" link off of the AIM Phoneline dashboard. The Open AIM Phoneline initiative builds on the success of AOL's Open AIM program, for which more than 50.000 developers have already registered, and empowers companies, communities and independent developers to build customized plugins, communications clients and mash-ups that access AOL's global instant messaging network.

AOL has also announced the Open AIM Phoneline Developers' Challenge. Leveraging the Open AIM SDK, developers are encouraged to create the most innovative and useful applications that will enhance the AIM Phoneline experience. A panel of AOL judges will vote on the submissions and highest scores will determine the winner. The AIM Phoneline Developers' Challenge will award $3.500 for first place and $1.000 for second place. The contest will run from September 11, 2006 through November 30, 2006, and the winner will be announced by January 31, 2007. AOL's new AIM Phoneline service gives AIM users a free, local phone number, free online voicemail, and the ability to receive unlimited incoming calls online through AOL AIM service.

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