AOL announced the launch of Open AIM 2.0, giving the developer community the freedom to access the AIM instant messaging network and to integrate AIM into their web sites and applications in their own ways. Open AIM 2.0 now offers free SDKs and APIs that support third-party chat services, as well as instant messaging applications designed for mobile, enterprise and international use. Web-based messaging providers meebo and eBuddy were the first to sign on to the new program.

Additionally, Open AIM will give participants an easy way to generate income through AIM Money, a new advertising revenue sharing platform expected to debut in April.

Userplane announced that Webchat 2 is now the number one application on the Friendster open platform. Webchat 2 is a chat software that enables real-time text messaging and streaming voice/video communication.

Easily integrated and fully scalable, Userplane’s Webchat 2 facilitates rapid deployment of centrally hosted chat rooms on web communities such as Friendster. Userplane joined the Friendster Developer Program in December, and since the number of users adopting the chat app has steadily increased. Known simply as “Chat” in the Friendster’s widget library, Userplane’s app was used by nearly 800,000 members last month.

The Webchat 2 suite includes Minichat and Userplane Money, a revenue-sharing platform that pays when it is used. In addition to Webchat 2, Userplane is launching its own apps within the Friendster application directory to support audio and video chatting for all users.

Zynga Game Network has opened its network to third-party game publishers and developers enabling them to reach the largest aggregated audience of social gamers across Facebook, Bebo, Friendster, meebo and soon MySpace. Partners, including gaming companies Sierra Online, Bigpoint and Come2Play, will leverage Zynga’s proven distribution to guarantee their games reach critical mass on social networks. The initial third-party games announced includes Sierra Online’s web games Capital Defense and Boogie Bunnies and Come2Play’s Backgammon and Bigpoint’s two most popular games Dark Orbit and Sea Fight.

Zynga has built the largest social game network with 1.3 million daily active users and 20 million registered users. In addition to offering reach to the largest aggregated audience of daily social game players on the Web, the Zynga network also allows third-party publishers and developers to tap into a proven monetization engine and offers unique features including game and friend discovery capabilities for users on games within the network.

ClipSyndicate announced the release of its search API to social network, social news and video syndication application developers. The release falls under its standard revenue-share terms for web publishers. With the newly-released API, ClipSyndicate will provide participating developers with a deep level of access and integration options beginning with an archive of over 200,000 broadcast video clips delivered immediately as embedded flash files. In partnership with more broadcast affiliate partners than any other online syndication platform, applications and widgets developed through ClipSyndicate will have access to feeds with over 1,000 new video news clips per day. Interested developers must contact info@clipsyndicate.com to join the program.