Posted at 6:13 p.m. PDT Wednesday, October 13, 1999
AOL expanding its
instant-message service to
Motorola devices
USA Today
America Online plans to expand its wildly popular
instant-messaging service to Motorola cell phones and pagers,
allowing consumers to zap notes to each other in a flash wherever
they are.
The move marks perhaps AOL's most dramatic attempt to make
good on its ''AOL anywhere'' strategy, designed to push its online
services beyond the personal computer to TVs, hand-held computers and other devices.
The deal, announced by the two companies Wednesday, will let AOL's 45 million
instant-messaging customers use Motorola wireless devices to beam instant messages to each other
or new Motorola subscribers.
Motorola's ''smart phones'' and two-way pager-like devices are expected to be equipped with the
AOL service, which features advertising, by early next year.
Motorola and others offer two-way paging that use slower electronic mail.
''They don't have AOL's customer base; this establishes AOL in the non-PC'' arena, Jupiter
Communications analyst Zia Wigder said.
AOL probably will offer the wireless messaging service free to its online subscribers but has not
determined whether there will be a fee for new wireless customers, AOL executive Barry Schuler
said.
The company has no plans to transport its leading online Web service to wireless devices, he says.
AOL is embroiled in an instant-messaging standoff with Microsoft, which has allowed its
instant-messaging customers to message AOL's. AOL says that's hacking.
Wigder said Microsoft will also move its instant messaging to wireless devices and that the
Motorola deal gives AOL a ''first mover'' advantage.
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