With more than 53 million users, AOL's AIM is the leading instant messaging network in the world. "Where are you?" is a common question in conversations on instant messaging programs such as AIM. IM helps real life buddies connect digitally, but until now there has not been a mechanism to bridge the gap between these digital and physical communities.

Licensing Skyhook's Wi-Fi Positioning System, AOL has launched a downloadable location plug-in for AIM that lets its 53 million users directly share their current physical location with their AIM 'buddies.' The plug-in embeds WPS software directly into the existing AIM software.

Once AIM users give permission for their 'buddies' to see their current location, friends can coordinate social activities and arrangements, find convenient places to meet up, and stay in touch. In this way, Skyhook's technology brings the next level of functionality to social networking applications by integrating physical location information into digital communities.

Download the plugin here.