LinkedIn and AOL to Work on Profile Integration and Presence Services

LinkedIn Corporation has signed an agreement with America Online, Inc. to integrate the AIM service into LinkedIn to provide users with AIM presence information, so that they can see when their LinkedIn connections are online and available for real-time communications.

This new capability for instant text, voice and video communication will give the more than 3.8 million LinkedIn users a new way to maintain their relationships with relevant business contacts, such as clients, business partners and former co-workers.

Under the agreement, LinkedIn also becomes the preferred provider of business profiles for the AIM service, enabling AOL members and AIM users to integrate their LinkedIn profiles into their AIM profiles. The more than 41 million active AIM users will also be able to add their LinkedIn connections to their AIM Buddy Lists with one click and will also be able to instantly invite contacts from their AIM Buddy Lists to connect on LinkedIn.

Meanwhile, LinkedIn will enable its users to register their AOL or AIM Screen Names with LinkedIn and detect when their connections are online and available for real-time communication through the AIM service. LinkedIn users will also be able to invite their LinkedIn connections to join the AIM service, so that they can detect their connections' presence on LinkedIn and converse with them in real time.

Both AOL and LinkedIn will make the integrated features available at no additional charge to their users. The AIM service as well as Personal accounts on LinkedIn will continue to be free.