Guest Paul (MVP) Posted October 18, 2006 Report Share Posted October 18, 2006 French site Mobinaute is reporting here that the Orange group have dumped plans to develop and release their own IM solution (hurrah!), and are now partnering with Microsoft (hurrah!). I've translated the article below, images courtesy of Mobinaute :( It's interesting to see this change of strategy by Orange, and to consider the implications for Windows Mobile. As you will probably know, Orange is currently shipping Windows Mobile devices with Microsoft's IM clients removed! :rolleyes: Orange to offer Windows Live Messenger to mobile and fixed broadband customers "France Telecom gives up developing its own IM offering and offers “Orange Messenger by Windows Live” to the whole of it's customer base. Did the wolf enter the sheeps fold? "Wanadoo Messenger"... "LiveCom"... "Orange Link"… after five years of effort and countless changes of strategy with regards to IM, the France Telecom group has finally decided to partner with Microsoft to offer "Orange Messenger by Windows Live" to the whole of its 135 million mobile and fixed broadband customers. Announced today in Paris in by Didier Lombard, chairman of France Telecom and Steve Ballmer, chairman of Microsoft, the new offering consists of a Orange branded version of the popular Windows Live Messenger, together with a Java applet for mobile devices, developed by French IM specialist Miyowa, designed to share look and feel with the desktop client. The new application will be made available exclusively to Orange customers, however it's Windows Live Messenger roots will allow full compatability with the 12 million users of Live Messenger in France, and millions worldwide, as well as the tens of thousands using of i-mode device Windows Messenger users with the Orange based MVNO 'Ten'. “This agreement between a leader in convergence and a leader in software marks the meeting of Orange's 135 million customers in Europe and the 240 million users of Windows Live Messenger in the world. This unprecedented move allows our group to position itself strongly with regards to the growth of the community phenomenon of the web to the world of mobile devices - carrying new services and new businesses” explained Didier Lombard. Although the PC software will be free of charge, Orange intends to add new premium services such as unlimited calls to fixed lines and TV via broadband. The Mobile application will be NOT be a free application, and Orange still believe that a 'tariff' model including use and unlimited traffic - similar to the 5 € per month deal offered by 'Ten' - is viable. It looks like Orange is preparing for the post-SMS generation by standardising with Windows Messenger on its mobile devices. Certainly lucrative in the short term, this strategy could however backfire for Orange, whose client relationship is likely to be gradually eroded by Microsoft, as the Microsoft "Live" offering (IM, Blogs, Social Networks, Search, Video, etc…) overlaps with Orange's own services. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ClintEastman Posted October 18, 2006 Report Share Posted October 18, 2006 About time!!! Now how are Orange going to mess up? Come to that Microsoft seems to be having endless problems pushing Mobile 10.7 out the door, the new build is still not out. :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul (MVP) Posted October 18, 2006 Report Share Posted October 18, 2006 Yeah, i'm eagerly awaiting the new WLM Mobile build too :( How will O mess it up? I'm at Orange Partner camp next week, i'll ask them :rolleyes: P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mwright Posted October 18, 2006 Report Share Posted October 18, 2006 How will O mess it up? I'm at Orange Partner camp next week, i'll ask them :rolleyes: P Well for starters, I am willing to place a small bet that they manage to come up with a way of charging for its use! Perhaps on a per message basis with bundles!! Oooh - sounds like SMS or something! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ClintEastman Posted October 18, 2006 Report Share Posted October 18, 2006 Yeah, i'm eagerly awaiting the new WLM Mobile build too :( How will O mess it up? I'm at Orange Partner camp next week, i'll ask them :rolleyes: P Well I'm betting (lets hope) that it WILL come out tomorrow/friday. As for how they will mess it up? The Mobile application will be NOT be a free application, and Orange still believe that a 'tariff' model including use and unlimited traffic - similar to the 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul (MVP) Posted October 18, 2006 Report Share Posted October 18, 2006 Wonder how that'll translate to Windows Mobile devices tho? P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ClintEastman Posted October 18, 2006 Report Share Posted October 18, 2006 (edited) Wonder how that'll translate to Windows Mobile devices tho? P Well they can't stop us from installing it and would have to do a LOT of sniffing to find out if your using it and that wouldn't be economical if you ask me. Edited October 18, 2006 by ClintEastman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pisquee Posted October 18, 2006 Report Share Posted October 18, 2006 Well, i they do want to charge for it, i'll just stick with Agile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sadlybrokeboy Posted October 19, 2006 Report Share Posted October 19, 2006 If you read the article - they intend to charge: "he Mobile application will be NOT be a free application, and Orange still believe that a 'tariff' model including use and unlimited traffic - similar to the 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ClintEastman Posted October 19, 2006 Report Share Posted October 19, 2006 If you read the article - they intend to charge: "he Mobile application will be NOT be a free application, and Orange still believe that a 'tariff' model including use and unlimited traffic - similar to the 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Monolithix (MVP) Posted October 19, 2006 Report Share Posted October 19, 2006 I still wouldnt be surprised if its a bastardised version of WLM that allows for easier billing of messages.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest NikLP Posted October 22, 2006 Report Share Posted October 22, 2006 Go Agile! :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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