Verizon Wireless announced a major step in the wireless instant messaging industry, with the first application to combine MSN Messenger, AOL IM and Yahoo! Messenger.
Verizon said the Yahoo! Messenger service will be available early next year.
Verizon said the service will initially work on its LG Electronics VX6000 camera phone through a BREW downloadable application. The application itself will be free, but users will be charged 10 cents to send a message and 2 cents to receive a message. To use the service, users must first sign up for an MSN, AOL or Yahoo! instant messaging account from a desktop computer. The move comes shortly after Qualcomm Inc. signed a deal with AOL for its BREW platform.
“Verizon Wireless customers are the only people in the world who will be able to instant message from their handset regardless of whether they use AOL Instant Messenger, MSN Messenger or Yahoo! Messenger,” said John Stratton, vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. “Our focus is always to give our customers superior products and services, and this service now joins the list of quality innovations that Verizon Wireless consistently brings to its subscribers.”
Wireless instant messaging has long been a point of contention in the industry. A variety of standards groups, including the Wireless Village initiative, have looked to create interoperable messaging services, and various startups have sold their IM technology to carriers and users. Most carriers offer at least one instant messaging service from AOL, MSN and Yahoo! and in some cases offer their own branded services as well. However, no other U.S. carrier has managed to collect the three major Internet IM services into one application.
Separately, Verizon announced a variety of new content and services in conjunction with the release of “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” motion picture, including a multiplayer game that will award high scorers with cash prizes. Verizon has an exclusive deal to offer “Rings” wireless content in the United States.
