Argentina-based mobile carrier Movistar, a subsidiary of mobile giant Telefónica, has launched a mass-market mobile service for Windows Live Messenger based on Synchronica's Java-based client for this IM application. Windows Live Messenger Java enables subscribers to experience the full functionality of Windows Live Messenger on their mobile phones by downloading Synchronica's Java-based client from the Movistar website.
The Movistar service runs on Synchronica's hosted IMPS platform and is the second new deployment of this technology since Synchronica's successful acquisition of Colibria's IMPS business earlier this year. The Synchronica platform supports Microsoft's Mobile Services Protocol, which allows users to access all of the Windows Live Messenger functionality that they have on their PCs on their mobile handsets.
Movistar Argentina is the first carrier in Latin America to launch a Java-based client for Windows Live Messenger. The application enables users to chat, using an interface that has a similar look and feel to PC-based messenger clients.
Movistar will kick off an advertising campaign in a number of leading Argentinian print and electronic media in early August, combined with an introductory discounted offer of USD 2.50 for unlimited use of the service during the first month.
"We chose Synchronica's Java-based Windows Live client and its hosted IMPS platform because of the functionality and excellent usability the solution provides," said Vanina Angelini, Movistar Argentina's product manager. “In my view, mobile IM may well turn out to be the most important value-added service over the next couple of years because it creates stickiness and reduces churn."
"Movistar Argentina's decision to deploy our technology for its Windows Live Messenger service underlines the strategic importance of our acquisition of Colibria's IMPS business earlier in the year," said Carsten Brinkschulte, CEO of Synchronica. “Argentina's largest mobile operator, Movistar, is ideally placed to use this new, highly addictive service to increase average revenue per user (ARPU) while also reducing churn."
Synchronica will continue to develop, market, and support Colibria's open standards-based IM technology as a standalone product. The software will also be integrated into Synchronica's Mobile Gateway messaging suite and will be pre-installed on the recently launched MessagePhone, a low-cost, messaging-centric handset powered by Mobile Gateway.
