Portable Wireless Messaging

AOL, the creator Instant Messaging, and cell phone giant Motorola said yesterday they are teaming up to offer the service on wireless portable devices. In other words, people may soon be able to "I.M." each other from their wireless gadgets, even their cell phones. The companies are showing off the service at a technology conference currently being held in Cannes, France, where big wireless players like Microsoft, RealNetworks and Intel push their latest gadgets, seeking to generate some much-needed buzz for an industry that has hit the doldrums in recent months.

AOL and Motorola said their plan will require no extra software to use. Instead, the software will be embedded in the device.

The companies are currently in talks with service carriers to offer the service, said Motorola spokeswoman Josephine Posti, though she declined to discuss further details.

She said they expect the service to debut before the second half of this year on Motorola messaging devices such as the V101, which is gadget about the size of pack of playing cards that unfolds and comes with its own portable keyboard.

Motorola is plugging the coming service by saying it will be available on "a wide range of Motorola wireless handsets," though Posti conceded it is envisioning it mainly for the gadgets that come with keyboards. "There isn't a whole lot we can do differently with cell phone design," she said.

A number of other portable gadgets will be introduced at the 3GSM World Congress, as the show, which opens today, is called. Many of them are pocket-sized devices that at a minimum can make phone calls, organize your life, take pictures and play music.

Microsoft, the world's largest software company, will unveil its plans to team up with Hewlett-Packard and Intel, among others, to offer such an all-purpose wireless device. It will be based on the company's PocketPC software.

RealNetworks, the major player in audio and video software for the Web, said it will roll out a new platform called RealSystem Mobile to allow people to listen to music or watch videos via their cell phones or other wireless equipment.

The big emphasis on Instant Messaging, which is expected to be a theme of the conference, reflects a desire to capitalize on a technology that has been hugely successful at a time when the industry is faltering. The soft economy has hit it hard, as consumers have put off buying new gadgets, awaiting better times and the coming of truly novel new technologies.

June 18, 2006