Interactive Business

Portal introduces free OpenRide interface as replacement for AOL 9.0.

AOL premiered a free version of its client software, AOL OpenRide, on Wednesday, aimed mainly at broadband users, with one integrated interface for accessing email, AOL Instant Messenger, web browsing, search, videos, music, and photos.

The software is also able to integrate together email from different email systems besides AOL, such as Google’s Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, or any other POP3 email account. However, Yahoo Mail and Microsoft Hotmail users would have to pay extra to get a POP3 account that could work with the service.

AOL OpenRide represents a further extension of the Dulles, Virginia-based company’s efforts to rely less on its old Internet service provider business, formerly known as America Online, and more on web-based advertising. AOL has made great strides in recent months to make more of its services free over the web

Source link: redherring.com..