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Odigo Messenger

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Odigo Messenger was an early social networking service based on instant messaging. Odigo believed in connecting and forming friendships: members would "meet" if two or more visited the same web site simultaneously. Odigo Messenger allowed members to connect to other IM networks, such as ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger.

Key Information

Founder	Moshe Zilberstein
Headquarters	Herzliya Pituah, Israel
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Avner Ronen Gabriel Matsliach
Services	Instant messaging Social Network

Odigo was purchased for an estimated $20 million by the Israeli company Comverse Technology in 2002. Comverse leveraged Odigo server software for instant messaging solutions in cell phones. However, since Comverse had no real interest in maintaining a generic IM service, it eventually shut down the free service in 2004.

The service first became available in 1999 and carried multiple brands during a spell of affiliations with different web service providers.

The word Odigo comes from the Greek "οδηγώ" which means "I guide/lead/drive/steer".^[1]

Odigo and the 9/11 investigation

[edit]

Odigo reported that, two hours before the September 11, 2001 attacks, two of their employees who were working in an Odigo office in Herzliya Pituah, a city near Tel Aviv,^[2] received a hostile English electronic instant message non-specifically threatening them that a terrorist attack would happen.^[3] They did not mention this to their employer until after they heard reports of a terrorist attack in the United States on the news, after which they informed the company's management. One of Odigo's New York offices was then situated within a mile of the World Trade Center complex.^[4] However, the threatening message did not mention the location of an attack.^[5]

The company took the initiative in tracking down the originating IP address of the message, giving the information to the FBI, so that the FBI could track down the Internet Service Provider, and the actual sender of the original message.^[6] Using the "people-search" function, Odigo users can send anonymous messages anywhere in the world to other users, who they can find based on demographics or location. According to The Washington Post, the message declared "that some sort of attack was about to take place. The notes ended with an anti-Semitic slur. The messages said 'something big was going to happen in a certain amount of time'".^[7]

References

[edit]

^ "οδηγώ". WordReference.com. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
^ The Washington Post, "Instant Messages to Israel Warned of WTC attack", 27 September 2001
^ Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 29/09/01
^ "FBI probing 'threatening' message, firm says", Daniel Sieberg, CNN News, September 28, 2001
^ Odigo Clarifies Attack Messages, Newsbytes (The Washington Post), September 28, 2001
^ Yuval Dror (26 September 2001). "Odigo says workers were warned of attack". Haaretz. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
^ David S. Fallis and Ariana Eunjung Cha, "Agents following suspects' lengthy electronic trail; Web of connections used to plan attack", The Washington Post, 10 October 2001

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from Grokipedia

Odigo Messenger was an instant messaging service launched in the late 1990s by an Israeli startup, enabling anonymous real-time communication between users matched by criteria such as age, gender, location, and interests, with features including avatar galleries and radar-based proximity alerts.^[1]^[2] The platform operated from offices in Israel and New York City, positioning itself as an alternative to dominant services like AOL Instant Messenger by advocating for interoperable standards to counter network lock-in practices.^[2]^[3] In a notable incident, two employees at its Herzliya, Israel, office received nonspecific electronic messages approximately two hours before the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center, predicting an attack but lacking details on timing or method; the company, which routinely fielded such threats, promptly notified Israeli security services and the FBI.^[4]^[5] Odigo was acquired by Comverse Technology in 2002 and discontinued operations around 2004.^[1]

History

Founding and Launch

Odigo Messenger was founded in 1998 in Israel by entrepreneur Avner Ronen, who served as a co-founder and key executive.^[1]^[6] The company emerged during the rapid growth of internet-based communication tools, positioning itself as an early entrant in the instant messaging market alongside services like ICQ, which had originated from the same region.^[7] Odigo Inc. focused on developing server software and client applications to facilitate real-time text messaging, with initial operations centered in Israel before expanding internationally.^[8] The service launched publicly in December 1999 as a free downloadable application for Windows users, emphasizing interoperability with established platforms such as Yahoo Messenger and America Online's instant messaging system.^[9] This compatibility feature distinguished Odigo from proprietary networks, allowing cross-platform communication and appealing to users seeking broader connectivity in an era of fragmented messaging ecosystems.^[7] By early 2000, the company had relocated much of its development team to New York City, establishing a U.S. presence to tap into the American market and proximity to major internet firms.^[2]

Expansion and User Growth

Odigo Messenger, launched publicly in December 1999, experienced rapid initial adoption driven by its innovative features, including anonymous "find-me" alerts that allowed users to connect based on proximity and interests without prior registration.^[9] By November 2000, the service had reached 2 million registered users, reflecting strong organic growth within its first year of availability.^[9] A key factor in this expansion was Odigo's emphasis on interoperability with dominant platforms such as AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), ICQ, and Yahoo Messenger, enabling cross-network communication at a time when competitors maintained closed ecosystems.^[7] In May 2000, Odigo released software version 2.5, which facilitated direct linking between its users and those on AIM and ICQ, broadening its appeal despite legal challenges from AOL over unauthorized server access.^[7] ^[10] Additionally, partnerships with internet service providers (ISPs) like Prodigy, StarMedia, and Fortune City allowed Odigo to offer private-label versions of its software, embedding the service within larger user bases and accelerating adoption.^[11] To fuel further scaling, Odigo secured $15.4 million in venture financing in January 2001 from investors including Benchmark Capital and Israel-based Genesis Partners, which supported enhanced server infrastructure and marketing efforts.^[12] By mid-2001, the company reported approximately 5 million registered users, underscoring sustained momentum amid a competitive instant messaging landscape dominated by AOL's 91 million AIM users and ICQ's 62 million.^[13] This growth positioned Odigo as a niche player focused on social discovery tools, though it remained smaller than incumbents due to its later entry and reliance on differentiation rather than sheer scale.^[7]

Acquisition by Comverse Technology

In May 2002, Comverse, the Israeli unit of Comverse Technology Inc., announced its acquisition of the remaining equity in Odigo Inc., an instant messaging provider, for approximately $17 million in cash.^[14] The transaction valued Odigo at around $20 million overall, following Comverse's prior investment of $3 million for a 12.4% stake, which positioned it as a strategic partner.^[15] ^[14] The deal, reported on May 20–21, 2002, across multiple outlets, enabled Comverse to fully integrate Odigo's specialized technology in instant messaging (IM) servers and presence management, primarily designed for wireless carriers and service providers.^[15] ^[14] This complemented Comverse's existing portfolio of unified messaging solutions, including voicemail, email, and multimedia messaging service (MMS), by adding open IM capabilities to address growing demand for interoperable communications platforms in the telecom sector.^[15] The acquisition closed subject to standard conditions, marking Comverse's return to deal-making after a period of restraint amid market challenges, and aligned with its focus on enhancing messaging infrastructure for enterprise and carrier clients.^[14] Odigo's Israeli origins and technology stack fit Comverse's operations, facilitating server software adaptation for broader commercial applications.^[15]

Technical Features and Functionality

Core Instant Messaging Capabilities

Odigo Messenger enabled real-time text-based communication between registered users over the internet, facilitating one-on-one conversations similar to contemporaries like ICQ and AOL Instant Messenger.^[16] Users could send and receive messages instantaneously upon the recipient's online status, with the client software displaying incoming chats in dedicated windows.^[17] The service incorporated standard presence awareness through customizable buddy lists, which allowed users to monitor the online availability of selected contacts and receive notifications upon their login or logout.^[18] This functionality supported efficient initiation of chats with known associates, akin to early IM protocols that emphasized synchronous interaction.^[19] Unlike some rival platforms that restricted direct messaging to predefined buddy lists, Odigo permitted users to send messages to any registered individual identifiable by username, broadening accessibility for spontaneous interactions.^[5]^[4] Basic profile setup during registration included details such as age, gender, and location, which could be shared to aid in user discovery during chats.^[17] Additional core utilities included message forwarding to email-enabled pagers for offline notifications, introduced in version 3.1 around 2000, ensuring users could respond promptly to urgent communications.^[20] The interface supported avatar selection from provided galleries, enhancing visual personalization in chat sessions without compromising the text-centric focus.^[17] These features collectively positioned Odigo as a versatile tool for immediate, presence-driven textual exchanges in the late 1990s internet landscape.^[16] Odigo Messenger supported interoperability with several prominent instant messaging protocols, allowing users to exchange messages across networks that were typically siloed. As of June 2000, the service integrated with Yahoo! Messenger, enabling Odigo users to communicate directly with Yahoo contacts alongside native Odigo buddies.^[21]^[22] Earlier implementations included compatibility with ICQ, while updates extended support to AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) and MSN Messenger, often through software patches or built-in protocol handlers.^[23]^[24]^[20] This multi-protocol capability addressed a key limitation of proprietary clients like AIM, which resisted cross-network access, and positioned Odigo as a unified client for diverse user bases.^[25] In response to interoperability challenges, such as AOL's efforts to block third-party access, Odigo provided free patches to restore connectivity, maintaining user access to AIM networks.^[25] By version 3.1, released around 2000, the client aggregated buddy lists from ICQ, MSN, Yahoo, and AIM, streamlining communication without necessitating separate logins.^[20] Odigo's unique social tools emphasized discovery and serendipitous connections, differentiating it from basic chat clients. A standout feature enabled users to identify and message other Odigo members browsing the same website in real time, leveraging web integration to transform passive surfing into interactive social opportunities.^[26] Complementing this was a "radar" interface that scanned for online users sharing similar interests, facilitating anonymous or targeted outreach based on self-reported profiles or activity patterns.^[26] Users could customize groupings to match with individuals aligned by interests, demographics, or backgrounds, promoting interest-based networking in an era predating modern social algorithms.^[27] These tools aligned with Odigo's foundational goal of fostering new friendships through instant messaging, rather than limiting interactions to pre-existing contacts, and included advanced elements like interest-driven matchmaking absent in contemporaries like ICQ.^[28] Additional integrations, such as automatic message forwarding to pagers and web-linked alerts, further embedded social engagement into daily online routines.^[20]

September 11, 2001 Warnings Incident

Receipt of the Messages

Two employees of the Israeli instant messaging company Odigo Messenger received anonymous instant messages through its service on the morning of September 11, 2001, approximately two hours prior to the first aircraft striking the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. EDT.^[5] The recipients were working in the company's Herzliya, Israel, office, where Odigo was headquartered at the time.^[5] According to statements from Odigo, the messages predicted that an attack on the Twin Towers would occur.^[5] The messages were transmitted in English via Odigo's platform, which featured capabilities for sending alerts to nearby or profile-matched users without requiring mutual contacts, potentially enabling anonymity.^[5] No specific details on the verbatim wording beyond the predictive nature have been released by the company or investigators in contemporaneous reports, though Odigo emphasized the prescience in cooperating with authorities post-event.^[5] The sender's identity remained unknown, as traced logs did not yield identifiable information at the time of initial review.^[5]

Reporting and Official Investigation

Odigo employees who received the instant messages on September 11, 2001, approximately two hours before the World Trade Center attacks, immediately notified company management. Management then reported the messages to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).^[5] The company, headquartered in Herzliya, Israel, with an office in New York City near the World Trade Center, fully cooperated with the FBI and Israeli law enforcement in tracing the sender's identity via the originating IP address, as Odigo's system retained such data despite the anonymous nature of the transmission.^[5] No public disclosure of the investigation's results, including any identification of the sender or links to the attacks, has emerged from U.S. or Israeli authorities. The incident received initial coverage in Israeli media but was not incorporated into major U.S. official inquiries, such as the 9/11 Commission Report, which focused on intelligence failures and al-Qaeda operations without referencing Odigo-specific warnings.^[29] Subsequent analyses have attributed the messages to possible hoaxes or unrelated chatter, given their vagueness and lack of actionable specificity, though no conclusive determination was publicly confirmed.^[5]

Analysis and Conspiracy Claims

The Odigo messages were described as vague warnings of an impending attack, lacking specifics about location, timing, or method, and were received by two employees at the company's Herzliya, Israel office approximately two hours before the first plane struck the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.^[5] Odigo management was notified post-attack, leading to contact with Israeli security services and subsequent cooperation with the FBI to trace the sender via server logs, though the anonymous nature of instant messaging at the time posed challenges.^[5] No public FBI findings linked the messages to al-Qaeda operatives or the hijackers, and the absence of actionable details prior to the attacks suggests they did not constitute verifiable foreknowledge, especially amid the thousands of general threats circulating in intelligence channels pre-9/11.^[5] Conspiracy claims surrounding the incident often allege Israeli intelligence or Mossad orchestration of warnings to select individuals, portraying Odigo's Israeli origins and New York office proximity to the World Trade Center as evidence of complicity or selective protection of Jewish employees. These narratives exaggerate the event, falsely morphing two nonspecific messages into claims of mass alerts to thousands of Israelis or Jews to avoid the attacks, a distortion traced to early misreporting that conflated Odigo's story with unsubstantiated rumors.^[30] Such theories lack empirical support, as Odigo's vice president noted the messages' generality and potential coincidence, and no traced sender or evidentiary link to state actors emerged from investigations.^[5] Critics of these claims highlight their alignment with longstanding antisemitic tropes of Jewish conspiratorial influence, amplified in fringe online communities rather than corroborated by primary documents or official probes like the 9/11 Commission Report, which found no such foreknowledge patterns.^[30] While systemic biases in media and academic discourse may underemphasize irregularities in intelligence failures, the Odigo case's evidentiary thinness—relying on anonymous, non-predictive alerts amid a platform handling millions of daily messages—favors prosaic explanations like random threats over orchestrated forewarning, absent causal chains tying them to the plot's execution.^[5]

Shutdown and Legacy

Service Closure

Odigo Messenger's free consumer instant messaging service was discontinued in 2004, two years after its full acquisition by Comverse Technology.^[1] Comverse, a provider of telecommunications software and services, had previously held a minority stake in Odigo and collaborated on enterprise-focused instant messaging tools, but showed limited commitment to sustaining the standalone public platform.^[14] The shutdown reflected broader industry consolidation, where consumer IM faced intensifying competition from dominant players like AOL Instant Messenger and emerging services, amid declining viability for niche providers without proprietary network effects.^[31] Post-closure, Odigo's underlying technology influenced Comverse's pivot toward business-oriented applications, including mobile messaging and customer interaction platforms, rather than general consumer use.^[1] No public announcement specified an exact discontinuation date within 2004, but archival records confirm the service's end, marking the obsolescence of its peer-to-peer and anonymous chatting features in favor of specialized enterprise solutions.^[32] The legacy consumer client became non-functional, with users unable to connect or maintain accounts thereafter.

Impact on Instant Messaging Evolution

Odigo Messenger, launched in December 1999, pioneered interoperability in instant messaging by enabling users to exchange messages and integrate contact lists across competing platforms, including AOL Instant Messenger, ICQ, and Yahoo! Messenger.^[9]^[7] This functionality, rolled out by May 2000, contrasted with the proprietary silos enforced by market leaders like AOL, which resisted cross-network compatibility to maintain user lock-in.^[2] Odigo's approach highlighted the inefficiencies of fragmented ecosystems, pressuring the industry toward greater openness and foreshadowing later federation efforts in protocols like XMPP. The service's rapid growth to over 2 million users by November 2000 amplified its influence, as it bundled core messaging with social discovery tools, such as people-matching filters that connected users based on shared interests via a global directory.^[9]^[33] Features like animated avatars and quick-add friend buttons enhanced user engagement, setting precedents for expressive, intuitive interfaces in subsequent IM clients.^[33] These elements positioned Odigo as an early proponent of instant messaging as a social networking medium, shifting perceptions from mere text exchange to friendship-building platforms. In June 2001, Odigo collaborated on Voice Instant Messaging, integrating real-time voice chats with telephony providers to bridge desktop and phone-based communication.^[18] This innovation anticipated multimodal messaging trends, influencing the development of hybrid voice-text systems in later services like Skype and early mobile apps. Despite its acquisition by Comverse Technology in 2002 and subsequent shutdown, Odigo's advocacy for interoperability and feature-rich social tools contributed to the erosion of closed networks, accelerating the evolution toward standardized, cross-platform instant messaging in the 2000s.^[2]

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