MyIX - The Malaysian Internet Exchange

The Malaysian telecommunication industry was deregulated in 1998, it was at that time, The Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications created the Communications and Multimedia Commission (CMC) to regulate and monitor the converging technologies and multimedia services whilst at the same time it is also to spur competition between the incumbent operators and the newcomers in the industry.

Since the deregulation, many licenses were issued to credible applicants by CMC, but till now, we hardly see enough competition in the telecommunication industry. The incumbent players are still holding back in allowing any form of competition to take place. This is apparent in the barriers to network inter-connect (such as not allowing Maxis to call TM fixed lines, or Digi EDGE services not able to access websites hosted at Jaring) and infrastructure sharing like the local loop and communication towers.... new operators are not given the opportunity to co-exist... but all are slowly changing... the issues of the last mile solution where incumbent networks are not able to reach are solved through wireless technologies and other modes possible...

Over the years, many service operators had to resolve in having third party options such as Hutchinson Global Commnications, VSNL (formerly known as Teleglobe) and etc to have their traffic to the global network destinations and also to have the the local traffic routed internationally and then back into Malaysia from external links in order to access local contents. All because, incumbents do not allow others into their networks. A very clear example to note, Jaring has the powerful fiber nodes called SuperJaring all across Malaysia (861KM of IP-Over-Fibre network).. but it could not extend its services nationwide because it is operating independently because TM does not allow them to access the nationwide PSTN network that they have which led Jaring to explore wireless networks to provide their services (but still at a slow pace because of hefty investments needed).



MyIX, a recently launched on 15th December, is a new approach to the earlier Internet Exchange program established 6 years ago. This initiative is launched to ensure that local ISPs are in the collaborative spirit to inter-connect their networks with each other and improve the local internet traffic. MyIX will provide all operators with a cheaper cost of managing the data traffic (instead of paying external third party operators, we might as well support each other within this country).

Summary of MyIX are as follow :

MyIX Nodes: AIMS, Fiberail NCC, TPM Jaring

MyIX Founding Members: AIMS, TM, Jaring

MyIX Peering Members: Maxis, Time, Digi, Nasioncom, Heitech Padu, MyKris, Airzed, Extreme Broadband, VDSL, EBTech, Freenet, Bizsurf, Paneagle and CNX

This re-launch was an initiative spearheaded by AIMS (a neutral and independent communications exchange company - I think.. its hard to define them actually). I have had the opportunity ti share some sessions years back with the CEO of the company, Afzal Abdul Rahim, he is a young visionary with new ideas on improving the telecommunication services in Malaysia and taking it to the next level and his track record in AIMS has shown his capabilities to do that... I hope that the incumbent players could learn a thing or two from this guy.

And lets hope with MyIX, we Malaysians could get a better experience in our communication services and maybe with the lower routing costs to the operators, we get cheaper and efficient packages to come.

Only after that.. maybe we can talk about becoming a global hub..

Telecommunication disruption

Malaysia and several countries within the region are experiencing difficulties to access the internet services today. The disruption resulted from the earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale centered at Hualien Taiwan.

The earthquake had caused damages to Taiwan and several loss of life, it also had caused an approximate 6 telecommunication submarine cables that connect Malaysia to the rest of the world.

Here are some news on the incident.

BBC.Com
ChannelNews.com

I hope rescue efforts and telecommunication restoration work are being carried out well and speedily...

My Nokia N93 Experience

I know that there are many reviews on the Nokia N-Series on the web posted by more reputed experts on mobile phones, I have even placed some contemplation on actually writing this down in my blog. I was rather excited about getting one of the N-Series as my own that when I am given the chance to test this device by Nokia, I know I had to share my personal experience on the phone which Gary Oldman shot his short movie with.

The N93 is the phone that Nokia debuted as the new range of phone and camera combo with cutting edge multimedia tool that boasted features of 3.2 Megapixel high resolution camera based on Carl Zeiss optics, near DVD like quality video recording, integrated wi-fi and 3G functionalities. Based on a clamshell design (with an added twist), the phone is a great improvement from its predecessor, the N90.

Prior to receiving this phone, I had a mountain of expectations from it. But based on the two days experience I had so far, here are my honest opinion.

The form factor :

I did not actually like the movable limbs for the clampshell design. It gave a sense of "tackiness" and flimsyness in my hand. The size is relatively acceptable but the bulkiness need further improvement.



(The different twist to the clamshell design)



(Size comparison with my other phones)

Operating System :

The N93 is based on the latest version (todate) of the Symbian S60 family. It is running on the OS version 9.1 or S60 Version 3. I will not go on with the OS as the lacking features or functions are based on the Symbian platform, not the phone.

However, I do wish to note that the OS 9.1 is fairly new and enhancement 3rd party softwares are not widely available at the moment. So, if you depend on a lot of additional applications on your phone, you might just need to wait for a while, until the developer community gets their applications perfected and compatible for the OS. (this is for most of the N-Series with the exception of N70).

Quality of pictures and videos :

There are a lot of samples that you can check on the web for the sample of images and video taken with this camera, you can start by reading the review on my-symbian and clicking on the uploaded images and videos.

Pictures are fine in a well lit environment, but it gets grainy with low light situations. The video is similar.

Now, what I need to comment on... the Physical experience of handling the N93.

Using the camera on the phone could get a bit difficult as the design will tend to make your index finger block the camera view.

Here is an image of what I mean.



To get the camera unobstructred, you will need to place your grip at the lower portion of the phone making the grip slightly "unfirm".

And the menu button and the camera controls are so small that it gets clumsy to use it.



Using the phone on the "side-flip" mode does take some time of getting used too if you are using the phone to surf, but for movie viewing.. its just fine.



To summarize,

What I liked about the phone :

- Faster processor (330 Mhz), finally..
- Better feel of web navigation using the default browser
- UMTS, UPnP, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, EDGE and GPRS
- High Megapixel camera
- Good software bundle
- TV Port Connector
- The TV ad for the phone with Gary Oldman (Good witty lines)

What I dislike :

- The tacky feeling of the swivelling clamshell
- Slow "camera ready" action
- Location of the camera window
- Small buttons for camera functions
- TV Port connector on the wrong side of the phone
- Limited third party applications available
- No DVB-H (Mobile TV)

Well, from the above, I guess I need to wait for the N95 to be out... it has more drooling features and better design.

Mobile Number Portability - Malaysian Perspective

In 2004, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (CMC) initiated the study on the feasibility of the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) on Malaysia, it was only on the 1st September 2006 that CMC released the Public Inquiry Paper on the mandate for service the implementation. Following the release of the document, CMC gave an estimated deadline of 12 to 15 Months for operators to gear up and prepare themselves to comply with the mandated service. Industry players are called to participate in the Industry Working Group (led by CMC) to brainstorm, tabulate and present the processes and procedures for implementation, communication and support for the service.

Briefly, Mobile Number Portability (MNP) is a service that offers a mobile subscriber to maintain their existing mobile numbers should they wish to change subscription to another operator. So, with this implementation, a 012-Maxis user can switch to Digi network and use its services while maintaining the 012 number.

Most will ask, what is the benefit for this service to the industry?

There are several direct benefits that could be presented and here are some of the partial list that could be highlighted :

- No lost of identity. Subscriber to a mobile service will be able to change his or her subscription without losing the number. This will ease the hassle of the subscriber directly by ensuring that his/her current contact list will still be able to call through. Circle of friends, business acquaintances and family will not be lost.
Also, no reprinting of business cards, advertising material, stationary and other administrative changes that needed to be address with the change of number.
Another added benefit, the subscribers are not bound to the unrealistic or expensive services imposed by the operator that they are on, with MNP, they can opt for other alternate operators that provide more suitable packages for their needs.

- Market place will be competitive. The number migration between netowrks will signal the liberation of the telecommunication market, it will then be considered as completely free market definition. Operators will be more competitive with the service offerings and improve network quality to ensure that their subscribers will not cancel the subscription and move on to the next operator. Subscribers will experience better and more attractive packages, higher customer service and support. In some considerations, value added network services such as hotspot (wi-fi) and freebies will be more apparent to nurture loyalty.

- Regulatory Efficiency. The number portability aspect will ensure efficient use of the numbering block assigned to operators by allowing the reassignments between operators and addressing number block shortages.

- Operators Benefits. With appropriate enhancement to the service portfolios, an operator could design their offerings to specific segment of the market and ensure the acquisition of the high ARPU users. The element of barrier on cross acquisition has been lifted and number block congestion is also ironed out.

With the outline benefits for all... there is only one thing to do...

Wait for the outcome of the service implementation process and procedures and the official launch by the commission in roughly 15 months?

In the meantime, I will update on the progress of the service through this blog when I could get access to it.

Call Me Bonus by Hotlink - A customer reward program

With the heated pre-paid subscribers registration ordained by the Communications and Multimedia Commission of Malaysia, there has been some negative impact on the total subscribers statistics, usage pattern and also ARPU of these non-registered mobile users.

Many incentives were thrown in by the mobile operators to meet the dateline and also to ensure that all users register accurately. There are many reasons that some are not willing to pen down their details to the number that they are using and since SIM-pack these days are so cheap.... they loose virtually nothing to miss the deadline.

As a result, lower mobile subscribers will be recorded this year, loss of income for those leaving the network and losses in the attractiveness of the prepaid market in Malaysia.

Hotlink made an announcement lately on the customer reward program to ensure that the numbers are kept active and usage maintained through the "Call Me Bonus" program. In this "Call Me Bonus" program, users will receive rewards for calls received. For each 3 Minutes call to the number, the user will get a free SMS.

Its fascinating really, when calls are made from outside of Maxis network, a charge will be received for the inter-connection... and for a fraction of that payment received, Maxis will give out free SMS. If the calls are made within the network, the caller will pay for the call which is virtually free to Maxis and from a fraction of that call charge... its converted to free SMSs.

Its interesting and very innovative. So, hotlink users out there... get people to call you now... and make sure its for at least 3 Mins... :-D

The future of mobile telecommunication services

Malaysian mobile phone users make up of more than 21 Million subscribers or equivalent to 80% penetration rate of the addressable market in 2005. Currently, these mobile subscribers contribute the highest revenue per user amongst all other existing subscription in the service industry. It is not surprising that the mobile business has been in constant observation by investors in and out of the country.

Telecommunication operators are looking into several technology investments amounting to billions of Ringgit to ensure that further advancements can be made to port more service over to the mobile landscape in order to inculcate more services to complement the existing arrays of service portfolio that they currently offer.

However, with the increasing capacity of bandwidth capabilities over existing 2.5G and 3G telecommunication networks that they have, the convergence of technologies have also made it possible for other service providers external to the mobile telecommunication industry to participate without the commitment to the infrastructure development. These are companies that are generally called the “free-riders” from the internet industry.

Globally, we have seen trends in the digital economy where internet service providers are being plagued with the existence of similar free-riders that would post services on the web and profiting from it. Operators are left to earn the fixed rate access fees and these free riders will benefit from the value added services they offer. These are commonly companies that are funded by advertisers for their huge database of subscribers and communities

The threats are real. Here are examples of these free riders that may be the dominant player in the mobile landscape in the future ;

Yahoo! : Yahoo is in the search engine that has expanded its portfolio to serving the mobile segment through the introduction of Yahoo!Go and Yahoo! Mobile. Yahoo!Go provides a client that is similar to a walled-garden portal consisting the comprehensive range of services that they offer in the full blown web version, it creates a single point of reference for mobile users to access their mails, picture sharing services, directory and more. Yahoo mobile on the other hand, offers wallpapers, ringtones and logos. With the potential of cheap VoiP Services in the near future. Currently they have 23.3 million mobile subscribers (or 12% of their total web subscribers) using the mobile portal.

Google : Its core technology and business is the search engine algorithm. It introduced the free e-mail service with the largest mailbox size to date to ensure that they can deter its subscribers from terminating their services. Now, they are adding more services such as Google Earth, Excel viewers and more interesting innovations to the point of even threatening the dominance of Microsoft. They have introduced a mobile version of their services recently and we may see services such as mobile search engine, VoIP services, GPS-enabled business directories over mobile (leveraging on Google Earth) and other location based services from them. Another possible move, MobileTV through their acquisition of YouTUBE recently.

SKYPE : Free PC-to-PC VoIP services at the moment and the sales of VoIP minutes for services extending beyond the PC environment. They are currently announcing their entry into the mobile space next year through several collaborations. In September 2006, they declared having more than 100 Million subscribers worldwide.

The three cited examples are just the more significant players that are pushing their way into the mobile business, there are many others like them offering free push-mail services, instant messaging services, Personal Information Management (PIM) and so much more.

In retaliation, some operators in the U.S and UK had made restrictions to these services to ensure that the free-riders do not succeed in their domination strategies. Others are looking into possible collaborations to have a win-win situation over revenue sharing negotiations and exploration of new business models.

Mobile operators will need to explore more innovative ideas and new services to ensure that the needs of their subscribers are well served, in addition to nurturing inelastic dependencies over the value added offered. This will ensure that the revenue leakage could be placed in control. With the convergence of technologies and competitive VoIP call rates, revenues from voice services are being corroded and data revenues are flattening… mobile telecommunication business will be in competition not only from the oligopolistic nature of the industry but also on the free market pressures of the digital economy… that is the imminent future.

New Free Web-Mail Service - inbox.com

There is a new free service available on web for those interested in setting up a new e-mail account, its called inbox

If I am not mistaken, the services started in 2005 and since then, inbox.com had extended its range of offerings.

On the basic free package, it offers :

- 2 - 5 GB of mailbox
- Photo sharing service
- Online Storage (I use this when I don't feel like carrying my thumbdrive, upload it on the web and retrieve it at the clients' place or at work - very convenient and secure)
- Search engine
- POP Address to access from any mail applications (Outlook, etc)
- Toolbar for mail notification and other services it offers

On the e-mail service alone, it has a differentiating ability to load up 20mb of file as attachment (which is not offered by Yahoo of Gmail)

Best of all, its advertising free.

ISPs compared - great findings

I have been meddling around between the Maxis HSPDA service that I am currently on and also the Streamyx 512kbps package that I am recently subscribed to.

Over the years, my experience with TM Net has been horrible. The bandwidth is ludicrously slow despite the bandwidth package that you are on. I used to be on the 1 Mbps package prior to my house shifting. Having suffered the poor service from that package and with the lack of option for broadband access, I subscribed to the 512kbps since regardless of what package I am on... I am still better off using the dial-up service.

I could not present the comparison between the bandwidth between 1 Mbps and 512Kbps since I did not take the snapshot of the earlier package that I was on. But here is an interesting comparison between Maxis and TM Net for your observation.

For TM Net, I am subscribed to the 512Kbps package. Its interesting to note that while I was at the TM point registering for the service, the sales agent was urging me to get the 1Mbps package as it would provide better experience, I told him... the experience will be the same, if not worst... it silenced him, a sign of acknowledgement to the statement.

So, with the new service package of 512 Kbps... here is the result that I got from the bandwidth test I conducted... its extremely interesting... mind you.. the package is for 512 Kbps.




The above test was conducted three times, with result within the same digits. It makes me wonder whether their "best effort" policy imposed on the services is in regards to "providing the service" or "ensuring there is a service".

Maxis HSPDA service however is rather acceptable in the definition of its "best effort". I am subscribed to the 384 Kbps and the bandwidth test revealed the following result.



I am still fairly new with the access service from Maxis, but I have no complaints so far. In comparison to their other services such as EDGE and GPRS that I access from my mobile phones, I am satisfied except for the steep price that they tabled to me at the end of each month.. but at least its reliable and available when I truly need it, my experience with Celcom is another whole topic on its own... maybe if I am in the mood, I will pen it on my blog.

Before logging off. My bandwidth test is not only conducted from one source, there are several sources that did the test for me, I only merely captured the one with the simplified test result to post it on this blog.

For those interested in testing their bandwidth online, try these sites

- Jaring Bandwidth Test
- The Bandwidth Place
- TM Net Bandwidth Test
- CNet Bandwidth test

MAXIS HSPDA Debut

I have been going through many woes in the broadband access experience.

Recently, through a good friend in Maxis.. I was invited to be part of the Maxis wireless broadband access subscriber.

The service comes with a HSPDA modem, its the size of a common wi-fi router in the market, a SIM card and a phone that you can attach to the modem to make calls with.

After trying the service, it is fairly useful when you are on the move and not bothered lugging around a bulky modem around with you. The service allows you to enjoy high speed internet in the area where HSPDA coverage is available and latch onto the GPRS network in other areas where HSPDA is not present, indeed it is a complete "umbrella" coverage for those on the move.

The snapshot of the set-up for the service is as follow :



Benefits :

a) Mobility (well, at least you can move around with the modem, but if you are expecting the freedom of movement, it is not that convenient to lug around the modem and set it up with the cat-5 cable to your notebook... you'd probably get the funny look from people doing this at cafes or restaurants)
b) Good coverage, HSPDA and GPRS. (but still, if you are out of the metropolitan areas, things could get a bit complicated)
c) Easy installation
d) Data and voice package (if you lug around a normal pstn phone with you at all times,yup.. you get both services)
e) No Fixed line charge for the phone rental like Telekom Malaysia
f) Competitive Packages
g) The modem can be powered through an electrical cord or its internal battery (with a three hour lifetime - depending on your usage)

Disadvantages :

a) Not true mobility ( I think, in places where I could get free wi-fi, I will tend to use that and high this bulky looking modem and its wires... its so "uncool")
b) The SIM that comes with the service is locked to the device, so if you have PCMCIA cards that comes with HSPDA technology which makes life simpler for you... you still cannot use that
c) There are no fixed line rental, but Maxis do charge for the equipment rental monthly (this is similar to the Telephone rental concept introduced by Telekom)
d) HSPDA coverage is still very limited - at the moment, mainly its in the Klang Valley area
e) Troublesome set-up, a modem and cat-5 cable
f) The highest bandwidth allocated for the service is only 700++ kbps
g) It does have a "fair usage" policy - which means NO p2p
h) the modem is bulky
i) did I say THE MODEM IS BULKY?

I will poke around the modem further to test it with a wi-fi router and other peripeheral, I will provide an update on this in my coming blogs.

My thoughts on this service,

It seems like Maxis is planning to engage in a "fixed access" service without going through the laid PSTN wiring by Telekom Malaysia (which makes sense, they are being difficult on infra-sharing). This service offers people with an alternative option to the abhorred streamyx service that monopolizes the broadband market.

However, HSPDA is a mobile technology which should be offered as an open service to other devices that are available in the market.. not locked to the clumsy looking modem. Options should be made available to their existing Maxis 3G Connect service that Maxis is charging differently at the moment. Well, lets just hope that the coverage expands more and options are open to unlock the SIM in the future.

Free Push-mail to Mobile

There are some of us who are religiously checking our e-mails for important business updates or news from loved ones. Although as high as it is on the daily list of things done repetitiously in a day, one would not really invest big money on it to have the notifications sent to them through the operator services such as the Blackberry (Maxis/Celcom) and SmartMail (Digi). The price for subscription will penalize you with a monthly subcription fee and more charges on each data size of mails delivered to your mobile. Now why do we need to pay so much for something like that on our own?

An alternate solution to this is a free push mail service by emoze.




Emoze provides a PC Client (must be turned on for the service)and mobile client that synchronizes the received mails and pushing them off to the mobile platform. It manages all your mails and PIM in real-time.

The beauty of this service is.. it is secure (using AES-128 encryption for full secured transmission)and supports almost all mail clients, exchange servers and web mails available (or at least coming soon).

This is definitely a great service to add on to your mobile BUT please be aware that if you receive high traffic of mails daily, its best to subscribe to the unlimited data plan from your operator... or else... it might really be costly for each of the messages pushed to you.

Premier Internet Service Provider in Malaysia

Been having a slow week(s) on my downloads, it is as if the Streamyx access is being choked to the max, after reading Jeff Ooi’s blog gave some insight on what was the issue with the service quality provided by Malaysia’s premier Internet Service Provider.

Salute to Jeff, he really has access to happenings behind the scenes.

I was a in service with the abovementioned Internet Service Provider but could not manage to stay in such a place where internal politicking was the key progression to the business formula, indeed its not surprising that I made my exit from the company as soon as I could...

My experience with the company is rather bitter and the taste will definitely take a while before it could wash off my mouth.

Getting e-mails on your mobile

I have been asked many times by people on how to access their mails from their mobile phones, the usual mails with a known pop and its smtp address may be easily imputed into the typical phone settings under the messaging setting, however, the issue comes about when they are using free webmail services such as yahoo mail, hotmail or gmail accounts… or maybe when they wish to use multiple accounts.

Let me start off with the easy approach for some webmail specific applications that allow mails to be downloaded to their mobile.

For yahoo, they have presented their subscribers with Yahoo! Go service, a client that can be downloaded to your mobile and you can log in from that application to retrieve the personal services that you have subscribed from yahoo! Such as Yahoo Photos, Contacts, Messenger and Mail.

Here is how the application user interface would present itself :


Log yourself in and start exploring your yahoo web services from your mobile.

The application is currently compatible to Windows Mobile and selected Nokia phones. At present, the application is being pre-installed in the new N-Series by Nokia. And the application is rather memory consuming... it takes up more than 2 mb from your phone and you cannot install it in the memory card :-(.

Google Mail users can point their mobile browser to http://gmail.com/app to download a java client (its about 137 kb) and have it installed on your mobile. Once installed, have your username and password keyed in and click on sign in… its so easy. But there has been issues on its stability… I have been getting a lot of error in connection.

But the good thing about the Gmail client is, it has the key items in the command menu such as mark, search and etc… I find these features enjoyable.




But in cases where you don't want to download huge application or application for just one e-mail account, you can try one of my favourite application,
flurrymail





With Flurry, you can add multiple e-mail accounts, manage your PIM and some links to newsfeeds of your selection. It has a friendly interface and easy to use but most importantly, it compresses your mails and minimizes the data usage from your mobile.

I hope this segment helps those who have been wondering about e-mails through mobile. Have fun exploring.. there are also other applications such as MOVAMAIL, and TADGAP that you could try... but always be mindful that these activities uses GPRS/EDGE or 3G connection, make sure that you are on the right subscription plan from your mobile operator to ensure that you will not be getting shocking figures on your bill.

Instant Messaging on Mobile

Over the years, people are constantly seeking ways to maximise their online presence to be a part of their daily activities.

Personally, I have been in constant juggling in trying to keep up with the happenings and events with my friends and family all around the world, seeking online services offered by Skype, Yahoo Messenger and MSN Live messaging to bring down the distance and barriers of telecommunication (apart from the e-mails and blog sites). In the earlier days, prior to the wireless telecommunication development and mobile technologies, I have been subject to a sedentary lifestyle (mostly during the working days) ; forgoing other activities to make sure that I am connected to the fixed network through my PC. Then, I realized that there are more to life than me, my PC and my virtual social network.... technology is meant to close the gap of communication, not to keep you away from society... :-D

Most mobile phones these days are multimedia enabled and with internet access (either through GPRS, EDGE or 3G {some even have wi-fi}), allowing for third party applications to be installed for specific purposes.

Main thing to do, subscribe to the best data rate plan that suits your data usage, or else… you’ll see red at the end of the month when the bill comes to your mailbox.

Now…. There are several options to look into for enabling instant messaging services on your mobile phone, it depends on what application that you are using, features you want to incorporate and how much you are willing to pay for it.

My favourite is IM+ from shapeservices

It is an application that combines all my IM services (google talk, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger, ICQ and AIM) into one. I am very happy with it that I bought the application for both my phones ( Nokia 9500 and Nokia 7610 – Symbian 80 & Symbian 60 os ). For Malaysians, you can get them at Mypdacafe.com with Ringgit pricing unless you want to pay for it in USD or EURO.

Here is a snapshot of the application :



IM+ is pretty easy to use, the interface is very much similar to the PC version, the only drawback is just the fact that it does not include skype.

For skype users, or those wishing to add skype into the list of IMs, here are some methods to do so.



EQO Mobile internet phone service EQO Mobile internet phone service establishes an online community based instant messaging services that integrates most of the IM applications including skype.

You will need to register your details online and then a configuration message will be delivered to your phone with the link to download the JAVA based application that you will need for your phone (downloading will incur internet connection cost to you). Then you will need to download a PC application with details of all your IM applications for you to log in.

What EQO does is just creating a symmetrical presence for the web and mobile, you will be accessing your IM applications from your PC through EQO website. So, at all times, your PC must be turned on and all IMs must be logged in.

Other alternatives for skype include :

Epyx mobile
Webmessenger
Vox

Each of the alternatives would have their own business model for you to consider in extending the features beyond the basic chat services. So, be sure to know what you need from the service before committing to the packages. Apart from that... you can just enjoy the basic features free of charge.

All in all, there are many JAVA based or symbian based applications tailored for specific IM applications or for a range of applications, I am not able to spell them out in this brief section. I hope this helps to those who just wanna get started on mobile IM and been figuring out what more they can do with the mobile services that they are subscribed to.

Have fun.