Instant
Messaging on Mobile Phonesfastxt™ brings
instant messaging to mobile phones04 December
2002 Mobile phone services company FastMobile unveiled
a breakthrough technology on Nov. 29 that brings instant messaging
on phones direct to customers. The Kent-based company
last week launched fastxt™, a service that allows mobile phone
owners to chat with each other at a fraction of text messaging costs.
The launch is being supported by a national advertising campaign directing
people to 'be in the loop'. Instant Messaging
has been a major phenomenon on computers with 5.5 million users in
the UK alone. It allows people to see when their friends are online
and chat instantaneously with them. Now this technology is making the
jump to mobile phones where the potential user numbers are far greater. The
technology became available for sale on Nov. 29 and runs initially
on this Christmas's fastest selling phone, the Nokia 7650. The range
will be extended rapidly as the new wave of Smartphones are launched
by manufacturers. Text addicts can chat with friends
in real time without the current limitations of message size and cost. The
technology also allows customers to chat with many friends at the same
time enabling information such as social arrangements or important
news to be distributed amongst groups of people at high speed. Each
fastxt message costs a fraction of a penny to send because it uses
GPRS -- the so-called 2.5G network -- to send data at high speeds rather
than depending on the cumbersome text message network James
Tagg, managing director of FastMobile, commented "Mobile Instant
Messaging is the ultimate application for people who are heavy text
users. "It's really a new experience. People
can now chat back and forth for 20-30 messages for the same price as
a single text". fastxt costs just 5.99 pounds
sterling per month. It is compatible with the text message network
and each fastxt subscription comes with 500 free texts as an introductory
offer.
www.fastxt.com
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