IM On Mobile Phones

Dr Occult writes "Some of the biggest mobile phone networks have joined forces to push instant messaging (IM) over mobiles.Fifteen operators, including Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile and China Mobile have agreed to work together to make it easy to IM across networks. Third-generation mobile networks can carry more data and move it around far faster so messages really can be instant.This is important because IM conversations typically involve more back and forth than text message chats and it ensures that the experience is similar to that enjoyed online. Under the initiative, the 15 operators covering 700 million mobile phone users have agreed to use a single standard for IM, which would work across networks.The operators are looking to launch instant messaging mobile services later this year."

Comments

Why not use MSN, or ICQ on phone?

[Werrismys]

Agile Messenger has done it for years. You just need a GPRS-capable phone.

It's also the cheapeast way to mass-send photos etc, much cheaper than using MMS.

Oh do keep up...

[Anonymous Coward]

I've been doing this for a couple of years without 3G thanks to applications like agilemessenger on series 60/80/UIQ phones. It is dead handy when firewalls block IM and you need to IM people.

Uh...

[karzan]

There is a unified text messaging system, it's standardised across all GSM networks. Yes some countries do have different text message lengths to others, which can get annoying if you send international texts and have them truncated. And there are a couple of countries that refuse to standardise on anything, like the USA, so use bizarre non-GSM systems. But for the vast majority of the world, which is on some variant of GSM, text messages are standardised and more or less seamless.

And IM is different to SMS. SMS is about sending messages one at a time from one phone to another. It only works on phone networks, and the messages are not connected together in e.g. threads. If your phone is off, they queue up until you turn it on; the person sending you a text can't see if you're 'online' at the moment. IM is at least in principle network-neutral; you should be able to send IMs back and forth between your phone and an Internet-based IM service, for example. People can see that you're online, and messages are threaded. The two are very different.

Re:That's great!

[WinterSolstice]

True enough. I have this service, and Cingular seriously abuses it. If I send an "IM" using AIM to my wife's phone from my computer, it is 10c (or one message, depending). If I send one phone to phone, it is 20c (10c to send, 10c to rec.).

I really hope they roll out some sort of "unlimited" plan for this. It benefits me tremendously to have it running for quick informal info (like addresses, paths, commands, etc.), but both email and IM to phone are just too frikin expensive.

On the other had, 10c per email would certainly reduce spam!

-WS