BROWSING: Oz

Nokia Corp. once again raised the stakes in its consumer play, acquiring mobile messaging company OZ Communications for an undisclosed amount.A Montreal-based outfit that claims 220 employees, OZ gained a foothold in the early days of mobile instant messaging and has expanded to social-networking...

TEXT MESSAGING HAS BECOME A CASH COW for mobile operators desperate to generate revenues in mobile data. But instant messaging may be poised to change that.Mobile instant messaging, or MIM, is used by only 8% of mobile consumers worldwide, according to a recent study...

The Wizard of Oz can change his mind, it seems. Apple Inc. said that its forthcoming iPhone product will run applications created with Web 2.0 standards, opening the device to extended capabilities from third-party suppliers-a change in direction from the company's initial product announcement...

Oz Communications Inc. is looking to expand its mobile messaging offerings with the acquisition of Thumbspeed Inc. from Hands-On Mobile Inc.Terms of the deal were not disclosed.Thumbspeed develops and publishes mobile messaging, photo-sharing and personalization services and applications, including branded services from AOL, MSN...

With the ever-expanding mobile entertainment space in full view, wireless carriers are working feverishly to bring their customers enhanced access to the social networking sites of their choosing. There's money to be made on all sides, and not just with the household-name variety like...

MONTREAL-Oz Communications Inc. is hoping to cash in on the online social networking craze with an offering that allows users to wirelessly access sites such as MySpace, Facebook and YouTube.The Canadian developer of mobile messaging software said its new offering is designed to mirror...

MONTREAL-Oz hopes to increase its presence on the mobile messaging playground after raking in $34 million in a second round of funding. Canadian institutional fund Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec led the round, and VantagePoint Venture Partners and Fonds de Solidarite also...

Belgian car fanatics can now download a free ringtone that features the revving engine of a Porsche Cayman S. The ringtone is an interactive "mupy" promotion offered by communication agency DDB, urban furniture company JCDecaux and wireless marketing firm Alterwave. People passing within 10...

Alltel Corp. selected Oz Communications Inc.'s mobile instant messaging solution to power its new Axcess Instant Messaging service. The BREW-based solution gives Alltel customers access to AOL's instant messaging service and Yahoo Inc.'s Messenger service in a mobile format that closely mirrors the PC...

MONTREAL—Alltel Corp. selected Oz Communications Inc.’s mobile instant messaging solution to power its new Axcess Instant Messaging service. The BREW-based solution gives Alltel customers access to AOL’s instant messaging service and Yahoo Inc.’s Messenger service in a mobile format that closely mirrors the PC...

MONTREAL—OZ Communications Inc.’s Mobile Email Solution is now available to Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C. customers who have Kyocera Wireless Corp. Switch Back and Slider Sonic handsets, according to the companies. The solution allows customers to access AOL L.L.C.’s e-mail and instant messaging accounts on...

Nothing kills a party like running out of food and booze. And, when guests show up in droves, beyond expectation, you check your supplies and commandeer friends for a mad dash to the store, right? Especially if each and every guest feels compelled to...

IRVINE, Calif.-Boost Mobile L.L.C. launched a downloadable client that allows AOL, MSN and Yahoo instant-messaging users to access the services from their handset. Montreal-based mobile IM developer Oz is powering the service, which is designed to duplicate the PC messaging experience from each service...

IRVINE, Calif.-Boost Mobile L.L.C. launched a downloadable client that allows AOL, MSN and Yahoo instant messaging (IM) users to access the services from their handset.Montreal-based mobile IM developer Oz is powering the service, which is designed to duplicate the PC messaging experience from each...

Few killer apps have fizzled the way mobile e-mail has. Although it seems nearly every U.S. consumer has at least two e-mail accounts-one for work and another for personal use-only a small percentage access e-mail from their handsets. And while Research in Motion Ltd....

Instant messaging continued to move into wireless Wednesday, as Virgin Mobile announced a deal to bring America Online Inc.'s Instant Messaging to subscribers who purchase Virgin Mobile's latest phone. The offering will include traditional IM features, including presence and buddy lists, and initially will...

After years of mostly futile efforts to exploit the largely untapped wireless e-mail market, wireless companies are thinking small. Instead of working to put high-tech devices in the hands of every road warrior and high-level executive, messaging companies are targeting consumers and low-end business...

Mobile instant messaging is expected to take another step forward this week with an announcement that Nokia Corp. will expand its offerings of IM-friendly handsets. The world's largest handset manufacturer will build on a two-year relationship with Oz, a Canadian software developer, to embed...

SEOUL, South Korea-Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. inked a new deal with Oz Communications Inc. to install the company's instant messaging software into select Samsung mobile phones. The deal is the latest in a series of significant customer wins for Oz, a privately held company...

Depending on your perspective, mobile instant messaging either has taken off like a rocket or is still idling on the launching pad. Like many other applications, IM has been a hot topic in wireless circles for years. And as with many of those other...

MONTREAL-T-Mobile USA has partnered with mobile messaging company Oz to deliver four pre-loaded instant message services on a new Nokia phone, the companies announced Thursday.A clamshell handset featuring a fold-out QWERTY keyboard, the Nokia 6800 will feature instant messaging options from Yahoo!, MSN, AOL...

As the market heats up for wireless instant-messaging services, a handful of vendors are touting their rapid implementation of the Open Mobile Alliance's IM specifications as a way to drum up carrier business.ACL Wireless, Colibria, Comverse Technology Inc., L.M. Ericsson, Followap, MessageVine Inc., Nokia...

REDMOND, Wash.-AT&T Wireless Services Inc. announced an expanded agreement with instant messaging company America Online Inc. to install AOL's IM software in select AT&T Wireless mobile phones. Nokia Corp.'s 3100 and 3200 handsets for AT&T Wireless will be the first phones to feature the...

T-Mobile USA Inc. is replacing its America Online Inc. instant-messaging service in favor of a more open, standards-based offering. The carrier signed a deal with IM company Oz Communications to install a gateway in its network that complies with instant-messaging and presence specifications from...