'''ICQ''' is an instant messaging service which is owned by [[AOL]]. It was originally owned by Mirabilis, an Israeli company.
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It was launched November of 1996, and on June 8, 1998 it was sold to AOL for $407,000,000.
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Spoken aloud, the term "spells out" (phonetically) "I seek you".
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The main difference that users notice between [[AIM]] and ICQ is that ICQ issues a Universal Internet Number, or UIN, whereas AIM lets users choose their own screen name. Both AIM and ICQ are owned by the same corporation, [[Time Warner]], so AIM users and ICQ users can freely message each other without the need of having to download any other software.