Yesterday Google released an updated version of it’s Gmail Chat client which now includes AIM support. All I can say is, finally! There have been rumors about AIM-Gtalk integration for some time, and although this isn’t true integration (to the point where someone logged in to AIM can chat with someone logged into Gtalk), it’s certainly a large step in the right direction.

To use AIM in Gmail, simply click on the upside-down triangle next to “Options” in the Chat section, and select “Sign into AIM”. A pop-up window will appear where you must enter your AIM screen name and password. Once you’ve entered your information and have been authenticated, all of your AIM contacts will appear amidst your Gtalk contacts and you can select any of them to chat with.

Here are some screen shots I captured:

1) Select option to Sign into AIM.

2) Enter AIM details.

3) Buddy list of both AIM and Gtalk contacts. (Notice the AIM and Gtalk contacts intermingled)