MSN and Vodafone to Launch PC-to-Mobile Instant Messaging

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MSN and Vodafone today announced plans to launch a first-of-its-kind seamless instant messaging (IM) service between PCs and mobile phones. Customers will be able to see the “presence” of their contacts and exchange instant messages between MSN Messenger on a PC and Vodafone Messenger on mobile phones and vice versa. By offering customers a seamless PC-to-mobile messaging option with instant messaging, MSN and Vodafone will expand communication choices, delivering an enhanced messaging offering for MSN and Vodafone customers who want to stay in touch with friends, family and colleagues.

The service will be based on the familiar mobile commercial model of “Calling Party Pays.” As they do today, Vodafone customers will prepay or pay for the service through their monthly bill, while MSN Messenger customers will be able to pay through packages available in connection with MSN Messenger.

View: MSN

“MSN and Vodafone are working to enhance messaging between mobile phones and PCs, ultimately delivering a richer experience to customers,” said Blake Irving, corporate vice president of the MSN Communication Services and Member Platform group at Microsoft Corp. “By enabling our customers to see each other’s presence on both PC and mobile devices, we are expanding our customers’ ability to make smart communication choices and connect instantly via IM to the people they care about most.”

“We have brought together two of the world’s largest messaging communities with a first of its kind for both industries — a seamless PC-to-mobile instant messaging service. Vodafone customers will now be able to use IM and its additional service benefits to stay in touch with mobile and PC friends and family,” said Peter Bamford, chief marketing officer for Vodafone. “IM is a growing part of the increasingly important mobile messaging market. By bringing our collective customers together, we’ll deliver more options for staying in touch when messaging. Our agreement will grow IM and SMS, meaning additional revenue for Vodafone.”

MSN and Vodafone plan to launch the enhanced messaging service in several European countries before the end of the year.

#1 nX07 on 30 Jun 2005 - 07:20

I always wondered when such a thing will arrive, I wish it would come to N.A. though.

#2 jasondefaoite on 30 Jun 2005 - 07:40

I was interested till I saw the word pay

I remember a couple of years back, when I actually still used ICQ, this could be done for free.

(3 replies) #3 antny_uk on 30 Jun 2005 - 08:05

You can already do this through 'AgileMessenger' an app. for symbian 60 phones which can connect to MSN, ICQ, AOL and some other one... (forget the name)

#3.1 pgudge on 30 Jun 2005 - 12:23

Yeah, I've got AgileMessenger on my Nokia6600 and its excellent, if Jabber comes to it then even more better.

I have no idea what they are offering, as Microsoft have MSN on Orange SPV's. The only thing is it might not use GPRS, it will communicate over the GSM broadcast (which is SMS), so they will be charging the hell out of you to use it.

#3.2 Razor_D on 30 Jun 2005 - 12:46

Just what i was thinking... SPV's already come with all, plus Microsoft launched this service earlier this year with the last update of MSN 7, didnt they? Where you buy packs of sms's, and add contacts to your list by Mobile Number, and the user getting the text can reply to it... I cant see how this is 'unique' to vodaphone, as it already works for any network...

#3.3 pgudge on 30 Jun 2005 - 13:04

What was that service on the older Nokia phones "Chat" did that use SMS? or was it some other type on comms?

(1 reply) #4 nw_raptor on 30 Jun 2005 - 10:48

I use MSN through my P910i already

#4.1 Hamster Man on 30 Jun 2005 - 22:16

hoorah for symbian and windows mobile devices

#5 TheSarge on 30 Jun 2005 - 20:09

Who actualy needs this? What, email and voice comunication isn't enought anymore?

(1 reply) #6 Dirtie on 30 Jun 2005 - 23:51

When will Voodafone NZ be offering this?

#6.1 dannyres on 01 Jul 2005 - 23:38

Yeah im in NZ too, its a pain to be the last people to get technology.

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