Personal Instant Messaging
The GSMA’s Personal IM initiative was closed on 31st March 2009.
Now that critical mass has been achieved it is expected that the industry - both operators and vendors - will continue to drive market development and growth without direct support from the GSMA. However, access to Personal IM-related resources – including service definitions, use cases, interworking guidelines, case studies, white papers and archives of newsletter and press releases – is still possible via this Website. Please note: the content on the Personal IM website will no longer be updated. But if you have a specific information request related to Personal IM please contact us and we will try to deal with your enquiry if possible.
The Personal Instant Messaging (Personal IM) initiative was designed to enable mobile users worldwide to exchange instant messages across networks. With Personal IM, instant messaging is no longer restricted to the fixed Internet world. It offers the opportunity to connect a mobile community in excess of 3 billion across all networks and geographic boundaries. It is not limited to specific Internet communities and with 'Presence' functionality available through IM, users can see in real time the status of their contacts and know when and how they can get in touch with them.
Personal IM is based on the following principles:
- Interoperability - users can send instant messages across different operator networks, creating a connected IM community that spans the mobile and fixed worlds
- Real-time delivery - Personal IM services enable users to exchange messages in real-time
- Security - users are protected from spam, viruses and other malicious content
- Initiating party pays - users only pay to send messages - not to receive
- Presence - users can see when people are 'on-line' and message receipt can be assured
Over 100 mobile operators in 40 countries have been involved in the Personal IM initiative since its inception in 2005, representing over 2.5 billion mobile subscribers worldwide. As of March 2009 40 operators were offering live Personal IM services in 20 countries, with over 33 million mobile customers actively using Personal IM services every month.
