America Online has reached a deal with AT&T Wireless
Services to embed its AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) and ICQ chat
software on some AT&T mobile phones, to simplify instant
messaging (IM) services for users.
The embedded IM feature is already available on the Nokia 3100
and 3200 handsets and AT&T will make it available on more
phones throughout the year.
The IM services appear as a feature on the phones' software, so
that users will be able to locate and use the services quickly.
AT&T will charge 10 cents per message sent and incoming
messages are free.
AOL's instant messaging services were already available to
AT&T's customers via SMS text messaging and through AT&T's
mMode service.
The IM-to-text service allows users to send an IM from their
desktop to an AT&T Wireless user by addressing the text to a
phone number. The AT&T Wireless users could then respond. This
service is only available to users with two-way text messaging
capable phones.
"The IM over SMS service doesn't work very well because it jams
two forms of communication together ... it's not very natural,"
said Joe Laslo, senior analyst at Jupiter Media.
Laslo believed AT&T could do well with the embedded service,
enabling it to increase per-user revenue if it gets the pricing
structure right. Users would be more comfortable with flat-rate
plans rather than per-message pricing, he said.
He added that the deal puts AOL in a good position to spread its
service to mobile users. AT&T Wireless had nearly 22 million
subscribers in the US at the end of last year.
IM over mobile phones is still a developing market in the US.
According to a study conducted by Jupiter in December, only 5% of
users surveyed had sent IMs over their mobile phones, while 36% had
used text messaging. Eight per cent of those surveyed had checked
their e-mail over their mobile phones.
Scarlett Pruitt writes for IDG News Service