Reliance Communications & Yahoo! India introduce Mobile Instant Messenger (IM)
- The world's first commercial roll out of Yahoo! Mobile Instant Messenger (IM) on all three mobile platforms viz., Java, BREW and WAP phones - Yahoo! Instant Messenger Experience on the Internet is now replicated for Reliance Mobile World users
-- Reliance Communications, India’s foremost truly integrated telecommunications service provider, and Yahoo! India, the leading internet communications and media company have come together to offer Yahoo! Instant Messenger for Reliance Mobile customers across India. The alliance marks a powerful partnership of a leader in the mobile space with the leader in the internet space to offer the rich, live ”Instant Messenger (IM)” PC experience on Reliance Mobile phones.
With this first of its kind initiative, Reliance Communications is the first telecom service provider in the world to offer Mobile IM across Java, BREW and WAP phones on a mobile operator network.
Mobile IM will allow Reliance Mobile customers to chat live with other Reliance customers, as well as any Yahoo! IM user in the world using their PC. Customers can send instant messages and chat online with their friends and family, using all of the Yahoo! IM features such as simultaneous multi-chat windows, presence status icon, emoticons, Yahoo! personal contact list and profile, multiple chat windows and viewing off-line messages etc …. Reliance’s Yahoo! IM is “always connected” and the instant messages are delivered to the user with that familiar beep!
“As an innovation leader, Reliance is bridging the Digital Divide by extending the Internet-rich IM experience of the PCs to its mobile subscribers for the first time in India”, said Mahesh Prasad, President - Applications Content and Solutions Group, Reliance Communications. “This brings us one step closer towards the convergence of the mobiles and the PCs”, he added.
George Zacharias, MD, Yahoo! India said, “We are glad to partner with Reliance for Mobile IM services, in India. This unique service will add a new dimension in enhancing our user experience and provide yet another compelling way to stay connected, instantly and at all times”
Yahoo! Instant Messenger service client interface for Reliance was developed by ACL Wireless. Yahoo! Messenger for mobile is available on all BREW, WAP and Nokia color handsets using Java technologies.
Reliance Mobile customers can access Mobile Instant Messenger by clicking on Reliance Mobile World > Hot n New> Yahoo! Msgr. Customers will be charged Rs.5. for each session logged and can send and receive unlimited instant messages.
This is not the first time that Reliance Mobile has collaborated with Yahoo!
Yahoo! Mail has been part of Reliance Mobile World's suite of WebMail services for over 2 years now. There again, a seamless integration with the Internet mail with a very easy to use interface complete with Inbox/Outbox/Compose/Trash and address book has ensured a steady stream of Mobile Yahoo! Mail users on a daily basis.
Notes to Editor
About Yahoo! India
Yahoo! India (www.yahoo.co.in), launched in June 2000, has established itself as the pioneering and leading Internet portal providing value added services for Web users in India and users abroad with special interest in India.
Yahoo! India seeks to provide online products and services essential to users' lives, and offers a full range of tools and marketing solutions for businesses to connect with Internet users globally. It presents a deep array of communications, commerce and content services that include Yahoo! India Mail, Yahoo! India Search, Yahoo! India Messenger, Yahoo! India Finance, Yahoo! India Chat, Yahoo! India Photos, Yahoo! India Answers, Yahoo! India News and Yahoo! India Search Marketing.