Sprint unveils suite of two-way messaging services
With the "Messenger" folder taking the top slot on the home deck of the Wireless Web, customers are one click away from a variety of ways to communicate via messaging: AOL Instant Messenger to stay connected with their online buddies; two-way, handset-to-handset text messaging through Sprint PCS Short Mail services; wireless chat rooms to engage in group conversations and to be part of unique wireless communities; and popular e-mail services to send and receive daily e-mail messages from virtually anywhere, nationwide.
"The youth market in particular is a high-growth segment who already understand and utilize these popular applications on a daily basis," said Charles Levine, chief operating officer for Sprint PCS. "We believe that young adults in particular will be especially interested in taking advantage of the suite of messaging services we're introducing today, and we expect that customers across all markets will find value in these interactive messaging applications."
- AOL Instant Messenger – The service allows nationwide availability of AIM service on any of more than 15 models of Internet-ready phones. Customers can have private text conversations in real-time with others directly from their wireless phones. With AIM's Buddy List feature, they will know when personal contacts are connected online and available to send and receive instant messages, whether they are on their phones or on their PCs.
- Short Mail – Sprint PCS's version of short message service (SMS) allows customers to send a message directly from phone to phone via the Wireless Web. To address a message, customers enter the recipient's phone number and send the message. Customers can compose messages or use canned messages, which they can customize from the phone or online. An alert takes the user to incoming messages.
- Wireless Chat – The service allows customers nationwide to conduct text conversations with other users in chatrooms focusing on specific subjects such as Campus, Sports, Celebs, or Wall Street. Users can see the nicknames of other people using the service, read the last messages posted by them, and respond, joining a wireless chat conversation from virtually anywhere. Since this is a PCS-to-PCS service, customers will be able to read and post messages in a chatroom at a comfortable pace. Jumbuck Chat, a wireless text-based chatroom capable of supporting hundreds of simultaneous wireless phone users and messages, powers the service. Jumbuck currently handles more than 500,000 text messages a month and specializes in providing high-usage text messaging solutions to wireless carriers.
- Wireless E-mail – Taking Your E-mail With You – Sprint PCS has expanded on its Wireless Web e-mail service. Customers can consolidate e-mail from other select e-mail service providers into their Sprint PCS Wireless Web Mail account to simplify e-mail management.
Managing Editor, Wireless Networks Online