The Interoperability Wars
AOL got a jumpstart on the IM phenomenon with its purchase of Mirabilis in the summer of 1998. Microsoft had to delay its own entry into the space because the company was determined to have its MSN Messenger tightly integrated with Hotmail, its free email service. In late July 1999, MSN Messenger debuted with features similar to those offered by AOL Instant Messenger and ICQ; however, it had one new key feature—the ability to interoperate with AIM. MSN, hoping to tap into AOL's network of some 35 million IM users, had added a bridge to AOL's network, allowing users of MSN to search out and communicate with users on AIM.
AOL immediately responded by changing its protocols, effectively cutting off MSN's efforts to connect ...
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