AOL Quietly Wins IM Patent
Quote: "In the latest example of a potentially market-defining patent being granted without fanfare, AOL Time Warner quietly has become the owner of a patent, granted in September by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, that covers much of the technology behind instant-messaging services."
Comment: Interesting...could have significant implications for instant messaging (which is only recently gaining credibility as an important corporate communication tool - between staff, and between an organization and its customers). I spoke with an instructor recently who felt that instant messaging is one of the most effective (and under-utilized) teaching tools - learners react to it more positively than time-delayed email.