14 DAY TRIAL // If you've been dying to use AOL Mail, AIM and ICQ on your BlackBerry smartphone (assuming you own one), you should be thrilled to find out that RIM has partnered with AOL in order to embed these features into the Canadian-made handsets.
From now on, fans of AIM and ICQ, the popular instant messaging applications from AOL, can easily use them on any BlackBerry smartphone (including the newly announced Flip 8220 – when it hits the market, of course). RIM and AOL have developed native BlackBerry applications for both of the IM clients, hence they should provide a hassle-free experience when used on a BB handset.
AOL Mail for BlackBerry is built on the "push e-mail" architecture that RIM's smartphones already have. After installed on a BlackBerry device, AOL Mail will offer the same features as the desktop version, synchronizing data and content with the users' online account. Also, those who have BlackBerry OS 4.5 or later can view emails in HTML format and download Microsoft Office attachments.
Talking about the collaboration with the Canadian smartphone manufacturer, Kevin Conroy, executive vice president at AOL, stated, "We are thrilled to work with RIM to make our leading email and instant messaging services available to BlackBerry smartphone users worldwide. By integrating our AOL Mail, AIM and ICQ services with the BlackBerry platform, users will have an exceptional mobile communications experience anytime, anywhere."
Mark Guibert, vice president, Corporate Marketing at Research In Motion, added, "The BlackBerry platform offers unparalleled email and messaging capabilities for mobile customers and we are very pleased to be working with AOL to enable a rich mobile experience on BlackBerry smartphones for the tens of millions of people who use AOL Mail, AIM and ICQ."
BlackBerry users can download both AIM and ICQ from the BlackBerry official website, accessible at this address. Unfortunately, for the moment, AOL Mail, AIM and ICQ for BlackBerry are only available across the US. However, RIM is working to bring the features to BlackBerry owners from other countries too, and the next few months should widen the list of markets where they will be available.