The new ICQ releases come as competing instant messaging services from Microsoft and Yahoo introduce bells and whistles such as videoconferencing in a bid to overtake AOL's lead in a fast-growing market.īy contrast, AOL has avoided loading on new IM features, concentrating instead on making its products more mobile under its 'AOL Anywhere' and lesser-known 'ICQ Anywhere' slogans.

The product has since been upgraded and renamed AIM Express. AOL launched a Web-based version of its AOL Instant Messenger, called AIM Quick Buddy, nearly two years ago. This is not AOL Time Warner's first Web-based IM service.

'The new versions of ICQ make it even easier and more convenient for users to stay in touch in real time from wherever they are and in a variety of different ways,' Jim Bankoff, president of AOL Web properties, said in a statement. ICQ Lite lets people log on and access contact lists from a Web site, much like Web-based e-mail accounts such as Microsoft's Hotmail and Yahoo Mail.ĪOL Time Warner on Tuesday also released a version of ICQ for Mac OS X, coinciding with the release of an OS X-compatible version of its America Online service. AOL Time Warner on Tuesday released a Web-based version of its popular ICQ instant messenger, allowing access to the service from any computer with an Internet connection and a browser.

Web icq to go