Windows Live Messenger Coming to Orange Cell Phones in Europe

12:31 am on October 21, 2006 | Category: Cell Phones, Messaging, Mobile Devices, Web Services, Wireless

mobile.jpg

Microsoft and France Telecom formally announced this week that the Windows Live instant messaging system will soon be available on a number of Orange mobile phones. This exercise in integration will begin in France this December, and will be extended to Britain and Spain in 2007.

“This launch is important for both France Telecom and Microsoft,” commented Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, noting that this is the first ever service to offer full convergence of mobile- and PC-based instant messaging systems. It could ultimately enable Orange’s 135 million wireless subscribers to interact with 240 Windows Live Messenger users.

For the time being, however, the roll-out will be limited by its lack of compatibility with many older handsets.

France Telecom CEO, Didier Lombard, says that the service will initially be available on nine Orange handsets, six of which already exist, and extended to “several dozen” devices by the end of 2007.

Executives wouldn’t give any exact pricing details for the new service, except to say that costs would be kept “reasonable,” so as to ensure popularity with younger users.

Related Articles:

    None Found

    No Comments yet »

    RSS feed for comments on this post.

    Leave a comment

    XHTML: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>


    Published by TeleClick Enterprises
    Edited by Jeremy Maddock