AOL Inc., the largest American media company, is in preliminary negotiations with the Russian Digital Sky Technologies about the possible sale of the instant messaging service ICQ, reports Wall Street Journal. ICQ - the most popular online pager in Russia (only in October it was visited by 8.4 million people), did not become such in the USA, failing to take a leadership position.

For AOL ICQ and other social services risk turning into unnecessary ballast, making it difficult to focus on the main areas: news, providing information and entertainment content.
Digital Sky Technologies, which already has shares of such services as Facebook, Mail.ru, Vkontakte and other Internet projects, is going to spend, according to preliminary estimates, from 200 to 300 million US dollars to complete the transaction, but both parties do not comment on what is happening, do not name specific dates and amounts.