Verizon Users Added to AOL's Buddy List

America Online has signed up Verizon Wireless as the latest carrier to offer its AOL Instant Messenger to customers, furthering the Internet service provider's push to get off the desktop and into handhelds.

Verizon Wireless subscribers can now check the availability of people on their buddy lists, and send instant messages via their cellular phones, regardless of whether their buddies are signed on to computers or mobile devices. The IM service builds on a previous agreement between AOL and the carrier, providing Verizon Wireless customers with AOL Mail and content. AOL announced the latest deal with Verizon on Wednesday.

IM Anywhere (For a Price)

Verizon isn't the only wireless carrier with which AOL is wheeling and dealing, however, as it has made recent pacts with AT&T Wireless Services, Nextel Communications, Sprint PCS Group, and VoiceStream Wireless as part of its AOL Anywhere strategy.

Interestingly, Microsoft has also cut a deal with Verizon, to provide its MSN Internet Service, including messaging and other functions, to Verizon's DSL customers.

Verizon's expanded cellular services with the AIM capability come at a price to customers, who must pay for text messaging. Verizon is charging users of the AIM service 2 cents per message received and 10 cents per message sent, or the choice between three bundled plans. Users can pay $2.99 a month for 100 messages received or sent, $3.99 a month for 200 messages, or $7.99 a month for 600 messages.

To subscribe to the service, users need a text-enabled phone with digital service. Verizon Wireless, based in Bedminster, New Jersey, has more than 30 million customers.

Spreading AIM

As part of the approval for the AOL-Time Warner merger in 2001, the company agreed to work with other services so AIM could interoperate with other instant messaging services. AOL has been working with IBM to provide interaction between AIM and instant messaging functions in IBM's Lotus Notes e-mail service.

IBM has also said it is working to make that Notes IM service, called Sametime, operable over mobile devices such as cell phones, personal digital assistants, and pagers.