Yahoo! AOL sign deals to put their IM on Blackberry

Posted on 14 Mar 2005 at 12:46

Both Yahoo! and AOL have signed deals with Research in Motion to add their instant messaging services to the increasingly popular Blackberry platform.

The wireless email device which has become a favourite of movers and shakers worldwide and is an obvious target for Yahoo! which has been pursuing an aggressive strategy of dominating emerging mobile web services. For example, RIM customers can already access Yahoo! Mobile Internet, including Yahoo! Search, Yahoo! News and Yahoo! Sports on BlackBerry devices.

Although AOL dropped its business-oriented IM service in June of last year, it too is looking to expand the scope of its AIM service from the desktop to become a feature of mobile computing.

Under the terms of their deal, RIM and Yahoo! have agreed that Yahoo Messenger will be preinstalled on BlackBerry devices. The companies say they will negotiate deals with mobile telcos to make the services available to customers. The companies also say they plan to offer Yahoo! Mail on the BlackBerry sometime in the future.

Untroubled by the furore over the changes to its terms and conditions AOL's deal will offer AIM and its venerable ICQ instant messenger services on the Blackberry. The companies also say that they will be working to make it easier to check their AOL mail on the device.

Although dogged by a long running legal dispute, the Blackberry from Canada-based RIM has become a familiar sight in trains and airports. Many people have become addicted to checking their email several times a day while on the move. The company now claims around 2 million subscribers world wide.

Author: Steve Malone