AOL launched a new, free instant-messaging application for business users on Wednesday. AIM Pro Professional Edition integrates with Microsoft Outlook corporate directories and calendars, encrypts messages and scans them for viruses, and offers quick access to business conferencing services from WebEx Communications, the company said.Approximately 14 million people already use AIM as a daily business tool, AOL said. With AIM Pro Professional Edition (PE), the company hopes they will see its software as a tool not just for secure instant messaging (IM), but also for secure file sharing or for hosting online meetings with voice, video and collaborative working tools.Although there are already enterprise instant-messaging tools on the market, such as IBM’s Lotus Sametime, most business IM users make do with free tools intended for consumers, AOL said.AOL faces renewed competition in the enterprise services market. Messaging rival Microsoft announced plans Tuesday to link up with Nortel Networks to integrate instant messaging with traditional telecommunications and conferencing services. AIM Pro PE is available as a free download. It replaces the basic AIM application, and will automatically import contact lists and account information from previous versions, the company said.Alongside the regular IM functionality, AIM Pro PE adds access to business conferencing services provided by WebEx, allowing users to join voice or video conferences from within the AIM interface. In order to create conferences and collaborative workspaces, however, AIM Pro users need to set up an account with WebEx, which charges from US$0.33 per person per minute for the conference, according to that company’s website. Basic IM communications remain free, AOL said. As an alternative to the often obscure and quirky screen names that identify users of the consumer AIM service, AIM Pro PE users can also identify themselves using their business e-mail address. From within the AIM Pro interface, users can search corporate directories, check their Outlook calendar, send IM or e-mail messages to contacts listed in the directory or calendar, and access business information or enterprise podcasts, the company said.AIM Pro PE users can communicate with more than 80 million users of IM services on AOL’s network, including ICQ and Apple Computer’s iChat, the company said. AOL also has agreements that allow it to exchange traffic with users of Microsoft’s Live Communications Server and IBM’s Lotus Sametime, and other IM services including Jabber, Antepo and Parlano, it said.-Peter Sayer, IDG News Service (Paris Bureau)Related Link: Microsoft, Yahoo to Test IM Interoperability PlanCheck out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Sponsored by Rimini Street Dear Oracle Cloud…I need my own space Access results from a recent Rimini Street survey about why enterprises are rethinking their Oracle relationship and cloud strategy. By Tanya O'Hara Nov 28, 2023 5 mins Cloud Computing brandpost Sponsored by Rimini Street How to evolve IT systems into innovation engines Today’s IT leaders are more than eager to modernize with best-fit cloud solutions that drive innovation and rapid business impact, but they need to do so with ROI-based solutions. By Tanya O'Hara Nov 28, 2023 4 mins IT Leadership brandpost Sponsored by Palo Alto Networks x Accenture Making sense of zero trust - why a managed SASE solution is the ideal option for enterprises Security leaders are turning to SASE as their preferred network security solution amid a new era of cloud-powered businesses working from anywhere. By CIO Contributor Nov 28, 2023 4 mins Network Security feature 8 tips for unleashing the power of unstructured data For most organizations, data in the form of text, video, audio, and other formats is plentiful but remains untapped. Here’s how to unlock business value from this overlooked data trove. By Bob Violino Nov 28, 2023 10 mins Data Mining Data Science Data Management Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe