Calls for opening instant messaging services are fading as the three biggest providers wage a protracted war for market share. Two years ago, Internet heavyweights routinely criticized America Online for refusing to allow competitors to communicate with its AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) system. AOL, then trying to win regulatory approval in its acquisition of Time Warner, was labeled a bully and criticized for perpetuating a closed network, to the detriment of consumers.
Today, the nature of the debate has shifted and the voices have been tempered--largely due to the successes of AOL's biggest challengers. The most vocal critic, Microsoft, has shown signs of closing AOL's lead, helped in part by the folding of its instant messaging application into its Windows operating system. Web portal Yahoo, which joined Microsoft in its criticism of AOL, has also watched its Yahoo Messenger service surge in popularity and has embedded it throughout many of its Web services.
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