The reinvigorate AOL is on move, VentureBeat has reported that AOL is working on new initiative to make its very own AIM instant messaging service as a central social feature for any websites. But theirs is an elephant in the room, its Meebo, the internet’s leading cross platform instant messaging service. Meebo is a force on the net with its estimated 40million users and 30 partners, this startup is a beast. Recently AOL bought UK based social networking site Bebo for $ 850 million, so far Bebo is doing great at AOL house. Bebo has already rolled out new feature on its site like the “Social inbox”, its integrates AOL’s AIM and other web services, it works simple to create a central online hub for users, its allows sharing of information from third party services such as Videos from YouTube, blogs, photos from Flickr, etc. AOL got plans to move this thing into a much larger audience, AOL is about to join the social networking party. Bebo could play a key role on AOL’s initiative; the social networking site could be use as a “testing ground” or “sandbox” for AOL’s IM service and other social networking tools. But the main focus of AOL’s works is on instant messaging service the Company got plans to offer its own AIM service to other websites. According to VentureBeat AOL will use chat technology developed by a startup, Userplane a company AOL bought for a reportedly $ 40 million, Userplane got awesome technology, it will give AOL the technology needed for its chat service. AOL’s instant messaging will also allows integration just like rival Meebo. But AOL wants more, it wants some “creativity works” , AOL plan to offer some social networking tools such as chat rooms, news feeds and its very own instant messaging service AIM. AOL also claims the new AOL service called “Site Social” could be embedded to any websites and the Company got plans to monetize its new service it will use AOL’s advertising platform. But AOL’s move is not just about social service; its main focus is on instant messaging. The Company got ambition to make it own AIM, the central social feature just like Meebo wants. Bu Meebo is already on the room, AOL got brutal competition here. .AOL is playing a catch up here and an underdog, Meebo is a tough rival, Meebo got edge, it got huge head start and technology know how plus a good brand name. The biggest question right now if there enough room left for AOL’s IM service. Meebo is a threat to AOL‘s ambition. Meebo has already announced that it will support both Facebook and MySpace integration .According to comScore Meebo got 7.4 million monthly visitors. If there’s anything on the web that could threaten and slow AOL’s IM efforts, it’s definitely Meebo. The best thing AOL could do right now is to stay on course, try to innovate and the most important of all, take care of those Bebo’s 80 million users.

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