Home > m-commerce

16 Feb 2006

The GSM Association (GSMA) has announced an initiative to make instant messaging (IM) on phone handsets work across all carriers together with transparent charging for IM, similar to the way text messaging is currently priced.

Fifteen of the world's phone operators are preparing to roll out IM services in line with the initiative, according to the GSMA. These include Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange, and Telefonica, which is acquiring UK carrier O2.

The GSMA's approach, which it calls Personal IM, will see operators charge on a per-message basis rather than according to the number of bytes sent. Billing models will vary among carriers, but they will typically offer bundles of IMs as part of a tariff, as they currently do with SMS text messages.

Only the sender pays with this model which will also help to deter spam-over-instant-messaging (Spim), he added.

Interoperability is also a key aim. With some desktop IM systems, it is not possible to send a message to someone on a rival system. With Personal IM a Vodafone user will be able to send a message to someone on T-Mobile, and exchange presence information.