Etisalat Upgrades Mobile Instant Messaging Service

­United Arab Emirates (UAE) mobile network operator, Etisalat has launched an upgraded Mobile IM (MIM) service powered by Colibria's Instant Messaging & Presence Service (IMPS). Etisalat's new MIM service, Etisalat Messenger, not only enables subscribers to communicate with both individuals and groups via MIM, but also incorporates Presence to allow subscribers to publish their presence status, picture and mood to their contacts.

The Etisalat-branded service will be available in both English and Arabic across a broad range of J2ME and Symbian devices, as well as through a separate PC client.

The Etisalat Messenger service allows interworking with SMS to enable communication with 'SMS only' users in their contact list. Offline IM users can also receive messages via SMS if they require. All of this maximises the potential community size and reach for subscribers.

Keith Gibson, CEO for Colibria, commented, "With today's consumers increasingly searching for new, exciting and interactive ways of communicating, Etisalat recognised that MIM presents one of the largest business opportunities to drive additional revenues since the launch of SMS. As one of the Middle East's leading mobile operators, Etisalat is in a strong position to demonstrate how feature-rich services such as MIM can compliment established services. The Colibria platform also allows this service to be upgraded to include application access and social network access as required."

Posted to the site on 8th September 2009