Apple and America Online (AOL) recently announced an agreement in which Apple will use AOL technologies in future online services managed and marketed by Apple. America Online also granted Apple a non-exclusive license to use America Online to provide "Apple-branded" (git 'em up, little doggies!) online services in exchange for a usage royalty.

This is interesting in that in some form, America Online's technologies originated with Apple, which planned to use it for an "AppleLink Lite" or some such monstrously-named service. Apple has subsequently flirted with SoftArc's excellent FirstClass BBS software as well, but I wonder if this means that Apple has decided to go back to the AOL platform. Perhaps Apple is tiring slightly with AppleLink or enough people have complained about the high costs? Who knows? I just wish AOL would significantly revamp their messaging interface, add off-line capabilities past the basic email and downloads, and increase the limitation on incoming email from the Internet gateway past the thoroughly absurd 25K.