Aimster Eyes Web Music Crown

Aimster Sings a Different Song

Aimster's debut has been a long time coming, Deep says. The group developed intelligent switching technology similar to Arrowpoint Communications' switches, which can examine the protocol of data packets and then direct them to a target. Aimster started work 15 months ago, right around the time Gnutella and Napster first came to the attention of the Internet community.

The Aimster switching technology creates a new issue for AOL in its ongoing struggle with other companies to cloister its instant-messaging software. AOL contends it is protecting AIM users from privacy and security intrusions. Its instant messaging rivals regard AOL's efforts as ducking competition based on an open standard. As Imici, Odigo, MSN Instant Messenger, and others developed compatibility between their instant messaging utilities and AIM, AOL would change the code to block interoperability.

Aimster, Deep claims, cannot be blocked so easily, because the software never touches AOL's servers. Packets "go through our switch, but not their servers," he says. "They can't block packets to a switch. They can't block us, not even if they wanted, not even for a moment."

Unless, of course, Aimster gets sued by AOL.

Can Aimster Woo AOL?

AOL may prove unable to block Aimster, says Jeff Nixon, managing partner of Interactive Capital Partners. To date, Aimster hasn't worked with AOL to develop its software. Nixon's company has been giving some arms-length advice to the Aimster programmers, urging the team to create a cordial and cooperative relationship with AOL.

"I think the great problem and the great opportunity they could have here is how they work with AOL," Nixon says. "I think it would be a mistake to work against AOL."

AOL, for its part, insists on keeping control of its software. "We will not permit attempts to use our systems or our software without our permission," says Andrew Weinstein, an AOL spokesperson. "Providing our users with a safe, secure, reliable experience remains our top priority."

Additionally, AOL may become concerned about being dragged into intellectual property battles surrounding music file sharing, on top of its instant messaging issues and regulatory concerns surrounding its pending merger with Time Warner. AOL removed an MP3 search engine from its Nullsoft Winamp Web site recently because the company was concerned that it couldn't distinguish between legal and pirated music, an AOL spokesperson says. Aimster may touch a similar nerve.

"The interesting thing is, will AOL shut it (Aimster) down? Probably not," says Alan Weintraub, research director for Gartner Group. "AOL's main concern is if AOL can be pointed at by any part of the legal community as proliferating copyright infringement."