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Industry Insight
22 February 2001
AOL uses MTN technology for ICQ
BY
STAFF WRITER
[
22 February 2001
] -
New M-Cell division Airborn has concluded a deal with America Online (AOL) to allow ICQ instant messaging users to send instant messages from PC to cellphone, and cellphone users to reply.
ICQ is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AOL.
Savvy ICQ users in SA realised some time ago that they could send messages to MTN subscribers while the system was in its test phase, and the free worldwide service is also already in place.
“We are not in the habit of announcing things that are going to happen,” says Sam Michel, chief of e at Airborn. “We announce things after we have made them a reality.”
The additional ICQ feature depends on a back-end system developed by theMTN mobile e-business division based on the hugely successful mtnsms.com website. The website is also expected to serve as basis for new messaging clients aimed at different markets.
Mtnsms.com is the most visited website in Africa and is fast becoming one of the biggest in the world, with its user base across the world continuing to grow.
“You will see a lot of different things come out of the division,” Michel promises. “We are focusing on enabling technologies in mobile Internet, looking at end user applications and services for the corporate market.”
Airborn recently announced what it described as a multimillion-rand alliance with Unisys on two-way messaging. In its previous incarnation the unit also developed the remote interactive voice response (RIVR) system, which allows users to request data by making a normal cellular phone call to a specific number. RIVR identifies the calling number, matches that to data, terminates the call and sends information via short message service (SMS).
RIVR is currently in use in Italy and SA, and the unit expects it to be operational in more than 100 countries within two years.
Airborn, now a division of the MTN holding company M-Cell, was previously known as Mobile e@MTN while a division of the network operator itself. Michel says the company came to a stage where it had to “uncouple itself from the network”, as it is an Internet convergence operation rather than a “pure network play”.
Related stories:
MTN takes first steps into Europe
MTN claims biggest Web site in Africa
A RIVR runs through it
ICQ is a wholly-owned subsidiary of AOL.
Savvy ICQ users in SA realised some time ago that they could send messages to MTN subscribers while the system was in its test phase, and the free worldwide service is also already in place.
“We are not in the habit of announcing things that are going to happen,” says Sam Michel, chief of e at Airborn. “We announce things after we have made them a reality.”
The additional ICQ feature depends on a back-end system developed by the
Mtnsms.com is the most visited website in Africa and is fast becoming one of the biggest in the world, with its user base across the world continuing to grow.
“You will see a lot of different things come out of the division,” Michel promises. “We are focusing on enabling technologies in mobile Internet, looking at end user applications and services for the corporate market.”
Airborn recently announced what it described as a multimillion-rand alliance with Unisys on two-way messaging. In its previous incarnation the unit also developed the remote interactive voice response (RIVR) system, which allows users to request data by making a normal cellular phone call to a specific number. RIVR identifies the calling number, matches that to data, terminates the call and sends information via short message service (SMS).
RIVR is currently in use in Italy and SA, and the unit expects it to be operational in more than 100 countries within two years.
Airborn, now a division of the MTN holding company M-Cell, was previously known as Mobile e@MTN while a division of the network operator itself. Michel says the company came to a stage where it had to “uncouple itself from the network”, as it is an Internet convergence operation rather than a “pure network play”.
Related stories:
MTN takes first steps into Europe
MTN claims biggest Web site in Africa
A RIVR runs through it
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