Microsoft IM to Hit Vodafone

[vodamod]

Vodafone and Microsoft are working together to deliver an enhanced co-branded IM service that can be accessed from both the PC and mobile phone. The world's biggest IM community and biggest Mobile Messaging community will together provide a next generation messaging service based on the Windows Live Messenger platform.

The new IM service will provide millions of customers with enhanced IM communication opportunities and will be launched in select European markets later this year.

The new service means that 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 Instant Messenger experience will be available on a wide range of Vodafone consumer handsets, including those on the Windows Mobile platform, bringing together customers of other Mobile Network Operator IM networks, consistent with last year's 3GSM announcement (June 2006) on Personal IM .