Launched in 1996 to compete with MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger or AOL, ICQ was one of the first instant messaging clients. Now its Russian owner is encouraging its users to switch to other chat apps as it will close forever.
As of June 26 it stops working and the same page encourages users to switch to VK Messenger for casual chats and VK WorkSpace for professional conversations.
What is ICQ?
ICQ, derived from the phrase “I’m looking for you,” was an instant messaging client created in 1996 by the company Mirabilis. It gained a lot of popularity as it was a lightweight application for computers and later for cell phones and changed the way we communicate with friends.
In June 1998, Mirabilis was acquired by AOL for $287 million. At the beginning of 2000, ICQ was used by more than 38 million users worldwide and its highest peak was 100 million registered accounts. Since April 2010 it has been owned by Mail.ru Group, who will now close it.
Users who registered were assigned a number that increased as more people registered, the lower your number the greater seniority you had, mine was: 46079717
Without a doubt, the iconic “uh-oh!” notification sound of ICQ will continue as one of the best memories. Some still have it on their phones for when they get a WhatsApp.
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