[getti]

Microsoft and 3 Group announced plans to deliver seamless access to Microsoft’s communication services, MSN® Messenger and MSN® Hotmail, through the 3 portal and installed software clients on 3G handsets.

Inset is Christian Salbaing, Managing Director at Hutchison Europe who is quoted below. These services will provide millions of customers with different ways to stay in touch using their 3G mobile phone. This agreement enables 3 to offer access to MSN Hotmail and MSN Messenger from a browser or by a downloaded and pre-installed software client.

As part of the agreement, all services offered will bring the familiar look and feel of MSN Messenger and MSN Hotmail on a PC, to a 3 mobile - providing customers with a convenient way to stay in-touch on the move using an experience with which they are already accustomed. By connecting MSN and 3 customers, both companies expect more frequent interaction between mobile-to-mobile, and PC-to-mobile customers.

The agreement brings together a community of millions of MSN Hotmail and MSN Messenger users and 3 customers worldwide. MSN Hotmail is one of the world's largest web-based e-mail services, with 230 million active e-mail accounts[1] and MSN Messenger, the world’s most used free instant messaging service, has 205 million customers worldwide[2]. Initially, the services will be available to over five million customers of 3 in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Hong Kong, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and Australia (via ninemsn) with plans to expand the service to other 3 markets.

Services

MSN Messenger, provided as a rich instant messenger mobile software client, will allow 3 customers to see the “presence” of their Messenger contacts and exchange messages when these contacts are on their PC or on the move with a 3 mobile. The client version provides a rich feature set that provides the user with an always available Messenger experience.

In addition, the 3 group of companies will allow access to MSN Hotmail through the 3 portal, allowing 3’s customers to use their existing MSN username and password on their 3 mobile. The MSN Hotmail experience on a 3 mobile will enable customers to perform their normal e-mail functions such as read, send and delete e-mails as well as get an ‘at a glance’ inbox view.

Later this year, 3 will also be able to offer access to Windows Live Messenger and Windows Live Mail, two of the exciting next generation software services from Microsoft that puts the user in control and connects them to the people and information that matter most.

“This is an exciting time for Microsoft and Hutchison. Together we are offering, for the first time, mobile software clients on a broad range of handsets to a vast customer base in Europe,” said Geoff Sutton, Regional General Manager for MSN EMEA. “By way of this agreement, we are expanding our customers’ ability to make smart communication choices to connect instantly to the people they care about most.”

Christian Salbaing, Managing Director at Hutchison Europe Telecommunications commented: "3 is committed to providing its customers with the widest choice of communications access platforms. We believe our 12 million 3G customers will be delighted to be able to use MSN Hotmail and MSN Messenger on our 3G networks. Communications environments and platforms are converging and it is our job to give customers more choice to communicate with each other. 3 is delighted to be working with Microsoft to make this happen."

[3GScottishUser]

Has'nt MSN Messenger been available on mobiles for ages?

I remember using a client to access MSN Messenger on 02 Active some years ago.

Sadly cost was the big problem so it will be interesting to see what 3 + Microsoft offer in 2006. MSN Messenger is very commercial now and it'll be the streaming adverts that help pay for the data I predict.

[Ben]

Yeah, Bleubean posted a link to the emessenger Java client, and you can also use MSN Messenger via the MSN wap site.

However, a decent mobile MSN client could make a big difference to usability. We'll have to see what becomes of this one - it could be a winner if the software and integration is right.

[solo12002]

Dam shame you cant access most other things outside of their wall on three. Wake up three

[3GScottishUser]

Is the MSN Mesenger and Hotmail on the Windows Smartphones already?

I recall rading about those facilities somewhere but again the data charging issue has made use minimal.

[3g-g]

Is the MSN Mesenger and Hotmail on the Windows Smartphones already?

I recall rading about those facilities somewhere but again the data charging issue has made use minimal.

Yeah they are, I think it's a part of all the Windows OS based phones and PDA type devices. It was definately on my SPV, the 1st one from way back when! And it's on all the SPV PDA devices I've had and still have...

[getti]

3 are definatly improving with these new deals. I was going to phone up and cancel my contract, but as they have a deal with Skype, Microsoft for messenger, and will also support the N80 on it's network i have decided to stick with them.

Oh and also they have just finished a HSDPA trial and contract users always get the new things first so i might as well stick with it

[timothythetim]

I'm in the same boat as you getti. There is so much about them that pisses me off but there is also a lot of good stuff.
Ideally Vodafone would release the N80 for free on a sub £30/Month contract.
Actually, having it on flext would be good.

[getti]

Vodafone are a great network and i love the mobile tv service they have. Like i said though, planning for the future i would be better off staying on 3.

I have a bad credit history and fail credit checks (Recently failed a Sim Only one on Voda). When i passed on 3 i was shocked. Contract customers always get things before prepay users and as 3 are going to be launching HSDPA near the end of the year i might aswell stay.
The N80 i am buying is Sim Free so will not touch my upgrade. Then when i am due a free upgrade HSDPA will be out on 3 and i already get full coverage with them so i can upgrade for a small or no fee.

[Hands0n]

This move by 3 will cement them in the minds of everyone who is already an MSN user, and that is quite a large audience. Of course, this is nothing very new for anyone who has used a Windows Mobile OS-based handset where the MSN client has been in existence since day one. It has not been cheap to use it via GPRS, nor has it been particularly fast, but the proof of concept works - you are indeed able to log into .Net and meet and greet your usual MSN crowd.

So, are 3 and Microsoft saying that they will have the MSN clients ported over to Symbian OS? A neat move if they do, opening up their network to a vast [and growing] array of non-M$ handsets.

The killer to all of this, though, is the still very high cost of accessing Internet data with all of the mobile operators.

[timothythetim]

Is it very expensive to just use MSN on a mobile though? Surely because it is just text that is sent and received it shouldn't be too dear.
My saved MSN conversations from the past year total about 10MB but in these files about two thirds is taken up with names and stuff. Occasional use should use up too much data at all.
Or have I missed something?

[3GScottishUser]

I would'nt get too carried away with this 3 exclusive as it's only for a limited period and others are very likely to follow suit and offer it too. As has been stated above much will depend on the cost of usage as the rest already allow Messenger clients although the data charging is the issue.

A nice simple flat rate add-on would make this a very attractive proposition.

[Hands0n]

I think that the others will have to follow suit - who could imagine them ignoring the MSN crowd? That would be the commercial version of Ostriches and Sand.

3 have to be given a pat on the back for making another first. They have been a bit of a catlyst for change in the mobile operator world. Perhaps the big four should have let them into the Cartel on day one :D But then again, we don't have Cartels in the UK. They are completely illegal.

S'funny, though, how nothing much changed over all the years until 3 came on the scene. Y'know the stuff - samey tariffs, samey offerings, samey everything really. Rather puts me in mind of those glorious Post Office Telecommunications (former BT) days when it took 9 months to get a phone line and 18 months to get a Telex line (unless you paid an engineer privately to get it done in a month). But none of that ever really happened ...... officially.

[3GScottishUser]

Its hardly an innovation when this type of service has been available on other networks for years!!

The only innovative part for 3 is the provision of the client from Microsoft and that will only really be significant if the pricing makes using the service affordable for the masses.

Lets see what the cost ends up as and the details in the small print!!

[Hands0n]

I agree that the charges will be the make or break.

While MSN has indeed been on other networks courtesy of Windows Mobile handsets it has been a wealthy or brave man who actually used it anything more than occasionally. I don't like heamorraging bundles of cash when I can just as easily wait till I get home to do all my MSN'ing for "free" inasmuch as I have my Internet connection in place anyway and not specifically for MSN.

Given 3's current data access charges, using MSN [on their network] will still be a comparitive premium privilege. These data access charges have got to be slashed across the board - by all of the mobile operators.