Say what you will about AOL, but the company can be credited for bringing instant messaging to the masses, both at home and in the business world.
WebEx, known for its online collaboration tools, has built on AOL Instant Messenger, bringing enhancements to the quick-communication platform with the release of WebEx AIM PBE (Pro Business Edition), aimed at the enterprise.
Like AIM (and unlike other enterprise IM solutions), WebEX AIM PBE follows an on-demand model, meaning admins don't need to set up and deploy IM servers within the company. Instead, WebEx provides companies with centralized controls to managing user. "Administrators can centrally manage all accounts and configure URL and content filters to prevent the loss of intellectual property or confidential information," according to the company.
There are also controls for enforcing security and compliance within the organization, according to the company. "All WebEx AIM Pro traffic is secured with end-to-end 128 bit SSL encryption and WebEx AIM Pro assists customers in meeting compliance requirements for storage of electronic communications," according to a written statement from WebEx. "The service automatically scans file transfers, blocks SpIM (IM spam) to reduce the spread of viruses and worms, and protects against IM and p-to-p threats."
This isn't AIM's first foray in the enterprise world. Back in 2002, AOL announced its AIM Enterprise Gateway server, but that got phased out in 2004.
More recently, AOL released AIM Pro Professional Edition.
Users can download the secure WebEx AIM Pro Business Edition client for free. For companies looking to deploy the product, licenses start at $5 per user.
Quick test
I took an opportunity to download the WebEx AOL IM PBE client myself, and although I didn't spend too much time playing with it, I did like what I saw.
First of all, it was pretty easy to get up and running using one of my existing AIM screen names. I just entered the SN and password after installing the PBE client, and my Contact List was instantly populated with buddies and co-workers, sorted as they would be in AIM.
In addition to the Chat tab, there's a Calendar tab, which you reportedly can sync with Outlook and WebEx to view schedule. I didn’t try that out, though. Looks potentially handy if, for some reason, you don't have Outlook access.
Launching an IM session opens a new chat window, and the interface has a four tabs. The IM tab gives you a familiar-looking chat interface, where you can choose your font, font size, font color, and one of several smileys. The smiley menu includes helpful explanation as to what each little face means, such as "Smiling" and "Money Mouth."
In addition to the Chat tab, there's Voice (for VoIP sessions), Video, Share (to share your desktop with another user), and Files, for transferring files securely.
I didn't try the VoIP, Video, or Share, but I did play with File, sending IMs and files between an AOL SN on Trillian and an AOL SN on the WebEx client. When my Trillian persona sent a Word doc to my WebEx persona, I got a list of choices in WebEx as to what to do with the file: Scan at Host; Accept no Scan; Decline; Ignore; or Block,
I clicked Scan to Host, and my Trillian person got the following message:
[receiver] asks you to send the files to the AIMProVirusScan for virus scanning.Follow these steps:
1) Add the Buddy Name "AIMProVirusScan" to your buddy list area.
2) Send a message to the "AIMProVirusScan" Buddy to begin the scan.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get the bot to accept my file from Trillian; perhaps this puppy is only compatible with true AIM clients.
Still, it's a pretty nifty looking client, and perhaps the low price tag and maintenance will compel organizations to abandon the standard AIM that so many use and give this more enterprise-geared model a try.
Posted by Ted Samson on September 15, 2006 02:45 PM
