Annapolis, Md.-based TeleCommunication Systems , which provides wireless location and messaging software, and Bantu Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based provider of business-grade
instant messaging (IM) and presence products, said they have developed an enhanced IM service for wireless carriers.
Under an agreement between the two companies, TeleCommunication Systems (TCS) and Bantu will offer an integrated mobile chat and IM application.
The integration of TCS and Bantu products will give end users one convenient solution that pulls together major messaging technologies such as Yahoo, Microsoft Network (MSN), and AOL Instant Messaging (AIM), among others. Subscribers will be able to participate in chat sessions with multiple subscribers or one-to-one IM sessions from their mobile phones, two-way pagers, and desktop computers.
The service will be accessible to subscribers with Short Message Service (SMS) or Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) enabled phones, officials said.
With the new service, users will be able to log in through a carrier’s Web page or via a mobile device, see which of their contacts are present online, and instantly exchange messages. Carriers can use this Web integration as a powerful community-building tool, launching, for example, special-interest communities that chat about travel, sports, investing, or other topics.
“This agreement offers wireless carriers using TCS messaging technology, enhanced wireless IM for their mobile users, together with a rich set of customizable services for their Web portals,” said Larry Schlang, president and CEO of Bantu. “Our relationship with TCS demonstrates the power of integrating IM and Presence into a variety of platforms and applications, including the Web and now wireless devices.
Bantu IMs with TCS
