AOL Buddies Up to Increase IM Wingspan

"Alexandria, Va.-based PresenceWorks will use its 'presence technology' to embed AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) capabilities into Web sites. For example, putting the technology on Monster.com, a job search Web site, would allow job seekers to chat with potential employers who could leave their AIM contact information on the site. Shoppers on eBay, meanwhile, could interact with sellers, and the list of e-mail senders in a Microsoft Outlook in-box could be turned into one long "buddy list."

Currently, someone using IM technology must compile addresses to form a buddy list, which shows whether people are offline or online and available to chat. With the new embedded technology, people can contact scores of strangers using instant messaging. PresenceWorks' software embeds "presence information"--signals that show when someone is online--into the directories and databases driving Web sites and consumer Web directories.

'Presence is the key to making AIM use ubiquitous,' said Raul Mujica, vice president of AOL's AIM division." [CNET News.com]

A couple of points here.

1. Will Trillian continue to work in this context? I'm curious to know because I use it extensively now. It's Wonderful with a big W. It's what IM should be - interoperable! (Note: IM = Instant Messaging)
2. Instant messaging is how a lot of kids communicate today. Remember "The Telephone Song" scene in Bye Bye Birdie? A remake would do it on IM using abbreviations. If your library isn't starting to learn how to message, you'd better start. If you want to practice, AIM me. But start learning how it works and what it's like. Practice an IM reference interview with a colleague. Get used to reading half-sentences written without capital letters or punctuation. I know you're cringing at that thought, but actually you get used to it pretty quickly. Even when your undergraduate degree was journalism.
3. I wonder how much the Presence technology will cost? Can anyone tell me how much LSSI costs?