“America Online (AOL) will offer an architectural plan on
Thursday that would eventually allow instant-messaging systems from
competing services to interconnect with AOL’s proprietary service,
as the online giant moves to head off criticism that has drawn the
attention of antitrust regulators reviewing its merger with Time
Warner (TWX).”
“Competitors ranging from big players like Microsoft (MSFT) and
AT&T (T) to smaller players like iCast and Tribal Voice have
been hammering AOL for months for its refusal to allow people using
other products to trade instant messages with its users. They
charge that AOL is simply trying to keep a lock on the market and
block competition.”
“The issue has taken on renewed urgency for AOL as rivals
complaining of anticompetitive practices on AOL’s part have gotten
the attention of regulators at the Federal Trade Commission and the
Federal Communications Commission who are reviewing the Time Warner
deal.”