OKLAHOMA CITY, OK–
Cellular One from Dobson Cellular Systems, one of the largest independent rural wireless providers in the United States, today announced the availability of AOL’s mobile AIM service—including the desktop-to-mobile messaging features—for its nearly 1.5 million wireless subscribers. The popular mobile AIM service enables Cellular One customers to stay connected to friends, family and colleagues whether they are at their desks or on-the-go.
Cellular One’s mobile AIM® offering, built by OZ, provides customers with wireless access to their branded, full-color AIM® Buddy List® feature, making it easy to see who is online and available to chat. Cellular One subscribers also gain access to AOL’s desktop-to-mobile messaging features, which enable AIM users to automatically forward instant messages to their cell phones as text messages, and to send instant messages from the desktop AIM client to any Cellular One subscriber on their mobile phone whether they have an AIM® Screen Name or not.
"Mobile users are looking for more than just voice services to stay connected on the go,” said Tom Roberts, chief marketing officer for Cellular One. “By offering the popular mobile AIM service, we are meeting our customers’ communications needs and keeping them in touch with AOL’s community of more than 43 million instant messaging users, no matter where they go."
With AOL’s desktop-to-mobile messaging features, AIM users can send messages to friends on their mobile phones by simply adding a subscriber’s mobile phone number to their Buddy List feature, or by entering +1 followed by the ten digit cellular phone number (including area code) where one would normally type an AIM Screen Name. Cellular One customers will receive these messages in their cell phone’s text messaging center and will be able to read and respond in real time.
AOL’s desktop-to-mobile messaging features also give Cellular One subscribers the ability to forward incoming instant messages to their mobile phones while they are away from their computers so that they can continue to respond in real time if they like. This ensures easy and ongoing mobile access to important incoming messages.
"We are excited to be working with Cellular One to enable desktop-to-mobile and mobile-to-mobile instant messaging for their customers,” said John McQueen, vice president for AOL’s wireless group. “We are pleased to welcome Cellular One subscribers to the nation’s largest and most popular instant messaging community.”
Cellular One selected the OZ Mobile IM Solution to offer end-users a rich and always-on mobile IM experience. OZ Mobile IM Client enables Cellular One to offer a robust mobile instant messaging experience that provides a seamless extension of AIM users’ favorite desktop service on several phones.
"Through our ongoing work with AOL, we are able to provide Cellular One customers with the familiar AIM interface they are used to on their computer, allowing them to easily communicate with friends and family without skipping a beat,” said Skuli Mogensen, CEO and Founder, OZ. “We are extremely pleased to have Cellular One join the OZ family and look forward to a continued mutually beneficial relationship.”
