Chatting goes mobile

Mobile Instant Messaging, another platform for teenagers to expand their online chat groups and stay connected 24/7. Now you needn’t be in front of a computer to get onto Yahoo chat or Messenger or GTalk. A mobile handset is all you need.

The GSM industry announced the soft launch of its mobile instant messaging initiative at a seminar organised by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) here on Monday. Though MIM will by and large provide the same service that wireline services of Internet messengers (IM) currently provide, MIM will go a step ahead in that it will offer a link to IM users that would permit MIM users to chat with friends who are on laptops or PCs. To access instant messaging, a customer needs to have a GPRS (web enabled handset) and the normal GPRS charges will be applicable depending on the usage.

Operators like BSNL, MTNL, Bharti Airtel, Hutch-Essar, Idea, Aircel, Reliance Telecom, Spice and BPL are expected to commercially launch this service in the next 3-4 weeks.

Source: The Economic Times