AOL and PresenceWorks, a developer of presence technology for business, have entered into a partnership to expand the reach of IM.
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Under the agreement, PresenceWorks will enable Web sites to embed AIM presence into pre-existing applications and will provide them with the tools and presence signal to bring sites and directories to life. With AIM and PresenceWorks, consumers using major Web sites that adopt this technology will now be able to see presence information, which lets them know who is online and available to chat via instant messaging. PresenceWorks’ software embeds presence information (the instant messaging “Buddy List” signals that show when users are online) into the directories and databases, driving software such as affinity Web sites and consumer Web directories.
The PresenceWorks presence button, embeddable in any HTML code, is an indicator that tells you if a contact is online and using any of the most popular instant messaging applications. The Gartner research group calls instant messaging the “sleeping giant” of the Internet, and PresenceWorks believes presence is the way to awaken that giant, according to CEO Matt Smith.
“Presence is the crucial missing link that marries applications and instant messaging. By integrating presence into mainstream applications and Web sites, companies can realize the full potential of instant messaging in the workplace, increasing their ability to conduct business communication in real time,” Smith said. “And today’s announcement with AOL will further the reach of Presence in Web sites and popular applications,” he added.
With this technology, users can experience the benefits of presence and IM in new locations entirely beyond the Buddy List, Smith said. The presence information of unlimited contacts can be displayed on these Web Sites so users can see online or offline status alongside existing contact information, for instance within the directory listings of a community site.