ICQ, which stands for "I Seek You," is a pioneering instant messaging software that revolutionized online communication in the late 1990s.
Originally developed by the Israeli company Mirabilis in 1996, before it was acquired by AOL in 1998, and then by Mail.Ru Group (VK) in 2010, it was the first standalone instant messenger, and quickly gained popularity for its user-friendly interface and unique features.
But fast forward to the modern days of technology and mobile, ICQ’s never really made it that far, with its popularity declining over the years as newer messaging platforms emerged.
Having peaked around 2001 with more than 100 million accounts registered, the number has declined ever since.
On May 24, 2024, the main page of the website icq.com announced that the service will be shut down on June 26, 2024.
ICQ was born during the era where marketing relied mostly on word-of-mouth marketing, in which its spread was based with users telling their friends about it, who then informed their friends, and so on.
At the time, ICQ didn't introduce anything new in terms of communication, since the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) was the most common platform, was already providing the means ICQ could.
However, ICQ introduced the concept of a fully centralized service.
When mobile devices came into play, ICQ has features that most others have, with some added unique perks.
For example, it has features like private chats, cloud synchronization, unlimited number and size of media content, and more.
These are special chats where chats can take place of up to 25 thousand participants at the same time.
Any user can create a group, hide their phone number from others, use advanced polling feature, send audio messages and more.
Users can also use its API to create bots, a feature that should be useful for some businesses or companies.
And what makes ICQ unique, is the way it uses nicknames to represent users.
Unlike other messaging apps, ICQ's approach is more like social media platforms, in which nicknames are used to replace phone numbers when searching for, or adding a new contact.
By using a nickname, users can share their contact details without providing a phone number.
But it's worth noting that what really distinguished ICQ from all others, is the way it uses UIN, or User Identification Numbers, which are distributed in sequential order.
On ICQ, users' UIN is permanent.
ICQ, considered the grandfather of messaging apps, was the first widely adopted IM platform.
It was the one that set the stage for future instant messaging platforms, like AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), Yahoo! Messenger, and later, modern apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram.
ICQ gave the tech world its legacy, where it transformed the way people communicated online and laid the groundwork for the development of modern communication platforms.
However, ICQ started seeing a decline in mid-2000s, due to the rising competitors, and the shift towards mobile communication.
ICQ was not fast enough.
With it shutting down, the company recommends VK Messenger and VK WorkSpace as alternatives to continue keeping touch with friends and colleagues.