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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."
I use Ramble IM on my Nextel BlackBerry and it works great as a real time AIM client.
aol and yahoo already do this to an extent. cant say as ive ever really had the need to do it though since text messaging seems to be more than efficient for my needs. i cant see how this will really be effective on a phone however, you just cant type fast enough or have enough screen realestate to take advantage of im like you do on a computer.
Part of my job is to provide text messaging solutions for hearing-impaired employees. Got a meeting this afternoon with the eight hearing-impaired employees, two signers and the Equal Opportunity office to talk about solutions.
Right now they're using Nokia Sidekicks for SMS and I'm trying to switch them over to Blackberrys. The Sidekick is kind of a neat device with a full QWERTY keyboard but the only vendor that offers them is T-Mobile and during testing we found the Blackberrys had better coverage, lower latency and could receive push email instead of pulling it with the Sidekicks. Also, this'd let the buiding's Emergency Operations Center send one email to a group and notify all of them of an evauaction drill or an emergency.
I'd *really* like to get T-Mobile out of my enterprise. Right now I have a bit less than 500 cellular devices deployed and the only thing keeping T-Mobile around is these damn Sidekicks.
But I digress. My point is there are SMS solutions for hearing-impaired folks that actually work pretty well - and for the folks who really need to text it's a great solution.
we see things not as as they are, but as we are.
-- anais nin
How is this new? My nokia 3390 from 4-5 years ago had integrated aol instant messaging. In my mind they need to use a standardized protocol instead of inventing their own closed protocol. How about putting a jabber client on every phone? If each provider ran their own jabber server and peered between them everyone could talk to just about anyone. They could even peer with other jabber providers like google talk so people could chat with computer users as well. This isn't rocket science so why do they feel the need to re-invent the wheel?
It'll be over IP, and most people already pay (through the nose) on the volume they send.
Which doesn't, of course, mean that you won't pay additional fees for the IM
"The way we can tell it's C# instead of Haskell is because it's nine lines instead of two." -- wadler
I'll give you the number one reason why I am changing to a phone that supports IM.
WORK!
With all the monitoring they do at my place of work and worse, what I read being done at others, I will take steps to insure my privacy.
Phone calls can be monitored, Internet usage usually is, IM can be as well, and e-mail is scanned, some times censored, and even saved.
With IM on my phone I can stay in touch with those who need me without the interruption of an actual phone call as well as keep my life private from my employer. Also IM messages tend to be more to the point that some phone calls can be. Granted there are lots of "silly" one liners but people tend to refrain from having never ending conversations with them
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
We barely have to look at each other now. I work at a gas station and because its incredibly old we still dont have any pay at the pump credit car machines. I get people walking inside constantly complaining about this. And even more scary are people who come in and tell me they have never payed for gas inside before, a 40 year old women told me this recently. I usualy just glare at the people who complain and ask them if human contact is really that bad of a thing.