Under a new partnership, AT&T Wireless subscribers will have access Microsoft’s
MSN Hotmail and Messenger and Web content as a new premium paid service by year’s end.
The offerings will be available nationwide by year’s end on AT&T’s mMode phones, a spokesman for the nation’s third-largest mobile operator said. Pricing hasn’t been set.
At the same time AT&T is adding MSN content and services, it also announced a partnership to put RealNetworks’ digital media player on mobile phones so customers could grab streams of breaking news, market reports, sports highlights and weather forecasts.
The deal between AT&T and Microsoft is the latest collaboration between the telecom carrier and the software giant. For example, in October the companies launched a suite of business applications to provide workers with access to company e-mail, data and applications behind corporate firewalls.
A Microsoft spokeswoman said this latest pact is non-exclusive. The Redmond, Wash., software company, which sees mobile phones and personal digital assistants as important markets for expanding its reach and revenues, has a similar deal with Verizon Wireless.
Deals with other carriers are also expected in the near future.