REDMOND, Wash.-Vodafone Group plc and MSN will launch an instant messaging service between mobile phones and PCs, the companies said Thursday.
The offering will allow users to exchange messages between the PC-based MSN Messenger and the carrier’s mobile IM service, and will include standard IM features such as presence, enabling users to track the availability of their contacts. The companies said the service will launch in several European countries by the end of the year.
The service will be charged on the “calling party pays” model, and Vodafone customers can pay for the service in advance or have it appear on their monthly statements. MSN will offer the service as part of its messaging packages.
MSN Messenger is the world’s largest IM service, with more than 165 million users worldwide. Vodafone claims 155 million subscribers.
“By adding the service functionality of IM and by connecting MSN and Vodafone customers, both companies expect more frequent interaction between PC and mobile customers,” the companies said in a prepared statement.
