Users of America Online Inc."s instant messaging service can now automatically see from Microsoft Corp."s popular Outlook e-mail application whether their friends and colleagues are online. A free tool AOL is offering beginning Monday integrates "buddy list" information from AOL Instant Messenger with Outlook.
When you receive an e-mail from an AIM member who is online, a yellow "running man" logo appears in the "from" line next to the e-mail address. If you believe a quick chat session might be more appropriate in reply than a series of further e-mails back and forth, clicking on the logo launches the AIM software for you.
"The way communications has evolved over the last couple of years ... different communications types are appropriate for different contexts," said Chamath Palihapitiya, AOL"s general manager for instant messaging.