Cingular brings IM online

Cingular has launched expanded its Yahoo IM service to include full-fledged handset to handset IM, effectively making its data-enabled phones extensions of the Yahoo network.

Previously Cingular customers were able to send and receive instant messages to and from PCs through an extension of its SMS network. But using new technology from Comverse, the GSM/GRPS network now establishes direct IP connections from individual handsets to Yahoo’s instant messaging gateways and establishes real-time peer-to-peer connections between clients.

Cingular officials said the technology makes handsets to act much the same way they would on a PC, allowing customers to manage friends lists, detect whether a friend is online and use the client as a jumping off point to access other Yahoo features like e-mail, mapping, games, news and weather.

Comverse’s downloadable mobile messaging client is actually portal agnostic and is capable of handling IM traffic from all of the major messaging providers so long as a carrier gets permission to access those providers’ portals. Verizon Wireless uses the Comverse client to enable messaging over Yahoo, MSN and AIM.

In addition, carriers can build on the software’s presence detection capabilities allowing customers to use peer-to-peer connections to send photos, initiate phone calls or other applications, said Eran Yaniv, vice president of product marketing for Comverse. It is up to the individual carriers to negotiate those services with the IM providers, however, since they depend on their networks to establish the basic connections, he added.

Cingular said it would make the service available to all of its customers with data-capable handsets. The client can be downloaded from the Cingular site, and once activated there is no charge to remain connected to the Yahoo network. Every instant message sent or received though, will cost 10 cents. Customers also have the option to sign up for an instant text/IM plan, charging 2 cents for each text message or IM sent or received.