Archive for: ICQ

ICQ Upgrades Their Dwindling Instant Messenger Service

ICQ (the old school instant messenger client) has just launched their new version, ICQ 7.5.

The new features at a glance:

• Audio and Video: Improved live video chat including full screen mode support. The revamped service includes the use of GIPS technology, LSVX codec and advanced techniques to handle jitter, packet loss, CPU and bandwidth constraints.
• Moods: More than 80 available Moods in a gallery available to personalize your own ICQ and express your mood.
• Privacy symbols: for better management of your contact list, users can use the new privacy icons symbols.
• Online Games: Users can now access the popular Online Games Center by clicking on the online games button located at the new strip at the bottom of the ICQ contact list or directly from the message window. The ICQ Online Games Center offers a wide selection of free games for hours of fun.

Download the new ICQ 7.5 for free: http://www.icq.com/download/icq/

Google interested in Russian Dominated IM Service, ICQ

It’s no big secret that the Russian market has been a tough one to crack for major western companies. Nintendo wouldn’t even bother trying to sell the Wii there as they feel Russia just isn’t ready for social gaming and the internet seems to hold less cultural value when compared to other countries.

However, Google are trying desperately to get a firm foot-hold in the market and as such have made a bid of around the $200 million mark for the country’s most popular instant messaging service; ICQ. Skype are also rumoured to be interested in the deal.

AOL owns ICQ at the minute having bought it in 1998 for $400 million (they’ll be making a loss). It now has over 30 million users with in excess of eight million of them living in Russia. So getting such a huge chunk of the market instantly would be a huge help for Google. Or whatever Western company manages to close the deal for that matter.