AOL Announces the End of Instant Messenger

America Online (AOL) on Friday announced that it's shutting down its famed Instant Messenger product in December.

All good things come to an end. On Dec 15, we'll bid farewell to AIM. Thank you to all our users! #AIMemories https://t.co/b6cjR2tSuU pic.twitter.com/V09Fl7EPMx

— AIM (@aim) October 6, 2017

"Our yellow running man is ready to retire," AOL wrote in a post Friday.

AIM was introduced in 1997.

"AIM tapped into new digital technologies and ignited a cultural shift, but the way in which we communicate with each other has profoundly changed. As a result we've made the decision that we will be discontinuing AIM effective December 15, 2017," vice president of communications Michael Albers wrote.

• AOL's Steve Case: 'Third Wave' of Internet Will Help Midwest
• Report: Verizon Plans to Cut About 2,000 Jobs at Yahoo, AOL