Roaming Messenger will bring Mobile Commerce to the USA

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/103/C2436/' target='_blank'>http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/103/C2436/</a><br /><br /></div>"Roaming Messenger is officially in the beta test stage on Motorola's latest generation SmartPhone, the MPX 200. This handset is currently available from AT&T Wireless and features Microsoft SmartPhone 2002 operating system. Once deployed, the Roaming Messenger system will allow dynamic, rich, interactive content to seamlessly roam between wireless users, wherever they may be."<br /><br />Hmm. This is how the Roaming Messenger describes their product:<br /><br />"Roaming Messenger is a breakthrough wireless solution for delivering real-time actionable information, to the right person, right away. With applications in homeland security, emergency response, military and enterprise automation, Roaming Messenger provides capabilities beyond existing e-mail, text messaging and voicemail solutions. Roaming Messenger packages time-critical information and decision points into a "smart courier" message. The result is a messenger that roams throughout the wired and wireless worlds — from mobile devices to desktop PCs to central servers — tracking down people and getting responses in real-time."<br /><br />Hmm. Is it me, or does it still sound like IM? What exactly makes this so special I wonder?

[possmann]

UH - yah?

So what makes this different from T-Mobile's AOL Messenger feature on their phones and hopefully - someday really soon - Microsoft's IM? Anyone know if Yahoo is going to allow mobile users to get yahoo messenger on their phone?

I would be interested to know if the Roaming Messenger runs on the GPRS for data while you talk on the GSM for voice - or does it "disconnect" you from data when you have a conversation and then reconnect you to data after you hang up? If memory serves, the PocketPC Phone Edition (T-Mobile) could not support talking on the phone and running an IM session on the device at the same time.

Now if Roaming Messenger supported this - THAT would be a great feature - otherwise it looks like Motorola is adding another IM to the mix - :roll: Great - just what we need. If that is the case I hope we can disable it in favor of an IM application we already use...