Quantcast
PCWorld.com is upgrading some back-end systems. Some site features, such as user registration, may be temporarily unavailable.
Subscribe to magazine

Sprint Takes AOL Anywhere

Mobile AOL users can now access their accounts via Sprint PCS phones.

Bob Brewin, Computerworld

  • 0 Yes
  • 0 No
The number of wireless Web subscribers will take a huge jump Friday when America Online starts providing its "AOL Anywhere" service to potentially all 22 million of its subscribers via Sprint PCS Group's nationwide network.

One analyst predicts that the AOL deal will be the first in a series of agreements with wireless carriers, which will include extending AOL's popular Instant Messenger service to mobile users.

AOL says it will have "premier" placement on Internet-ready phones used by digital data customers of Kansas City-based Sprint PCS, occupying the third line on the opening screen of the Sprint phone. This will allow mobile AOL users to tap into a number of AOL features including e-mail, news, stock quotes, and weather reports, as well as movie information and digital maps.

Jeff Kagan, an Atlanta-based wireless analyst, says the AOL/Sprint deal signifies the coming of age of wireless data and information as a mass-market phenomenon, one that businesses will ignore at their peril.

"This means wireless is for real, and it's not a passing fad," says Kagan. "It means that businesses need to develop a wireless Web strategy" for the growing number of consumers who will use mobile Web phones to access information.

AOL will announce deals with a number of other wireless carriers in the near term, Kagan predicts, including an agreement with Atlanta-based BellSouth that will extend the reach of AOL Instant Messenger to that company's wireless subscribers.

At deadline, a spokesperson for Bell South says he wasn't aware of and couldn't confirm any pending agreements with AOL. AOL officials weren't immediately available.

Tim Scannell, an analyst at Mobile Insights, says he also believes that the Sprint deal is the first of a series of wireless agreements to come from AOL. "AOL wants to extend itself from being a wired utility to being a wireless utility," Scannell says.

"There is a great demand for Instant Messenger" from wireless users, he adds, but that's inhibited somewhat by the fact that currently the service is an AOL proprietary product. "Users really want a cross-platform Instant Messenger-type product," Scannell says.

Computerworld
For more enterprise computing news, visit Computerworld. Story copyright © 2007 Computerworld Inc. All rights reserved.

  • Recommend this story?
  • 0 Yes
    0 No
  • Great year-end deals
    for small business!

  • Get 24/7 live remote AT&T Tech Support 360* service along with select Lenovo* PCs (with Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processors) and save up to 200!

    Learn more

  • HP EliteBook* 6930p Notebook with Intel® vPro™ technology and a free HP Basic Docking Station - $641 instant savings!

    Learn more

  • *Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. ©2009 Intel Corporation. Intel, the Intel logo, vPro and Core trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries. All rights reserved.

People who read this also read:

  • 15 Minutes to a Secure Business Get the Secure in 15 toolkit starting with the "15 Minutes Month-at-a-Glance" calendar. McAfee will send you additional tools and tricks to stay protected around the clock.
  • A Buyer's Guide to Data Protection Implementing data protection products and processes can be daunting. Make the right decisions by exploring what is available and what makes sense for your organization. Use this simple guide to evaluate different vendor offerings.

Sponsored Links