Vodafone, Microsoft tie up for instant messaging service

Mumbai: Vodafone has teamed up with Microsoft to deliver an enhanced co-branded and seamless instant messaging (IM) service that can be accessed from both the PC and a mobile phone. This would provide a next generation messaging service based on the Windows Live Messenger platform.

The new instant messaging service, to be launched in select European markets later this year, will provide customers with enhanced communication opportunities.

With IM, customers will be able to use the address book functionality and see the "presence" of their messenger contacts and exchange messages when these contacts are either on their PC or mobile devices.

The co-branded IM facility will be available on wide range of Vodafone consumer handsets, including those on the Windows Mobile platform.

"Microsoft and Vodafone are working together to enhance messaging between mobile phones and PCs, ultimately delivering a richer experience to customers," said Brian Arbogast, corporate vice president of the Windows Live Developer and Communications Platform group at Microsoft Corp. "By way of this launch, we are expanding our customers' ability to make smart communication choices and connect instantly via IM to the people they care about most whether they are on their phone or on their PC," he added.

Vodafone also has a tie-up with YouTube, the video-sharing site owned by Google, to bring the web's biggest brands to mobile handsets.

The new service, which will be launched later this year, will allow users to browse and access a limited number of clips selected by YouTube, through the Vodafone Live! WAP portal. Vodafone said that YouTube, which is facing growing pressure from content owners over the huge volumes of pirated material available on its website, would be responsible for ensuring bootlegged clips were not shown on mobiles.