Released on = June 7, 2006, 7:47 am

Press Release Author = Visiongain

Industry = Telecommunications

Press Release Summary = As mobile operators across Europe and Asia look to deploy
customised (operator owned and branded) mobile IM services by the end of 2006.

Press Release Body = San Francisco, CA and London, UK; 30 May 2006: As mobile
operators across Europe and Asia look to deploy customised (operator owned and
branded) mobile IM services by the end of 2006, a new visiongain report warns that
incorrect pricing seriously throws open the possibility of MIM cannibalising SMS
service revenues.

The report, "Mobile Instant Messaging Report 2006-2011: Deploying successful mobile
IM services", argues that operators must carefully evaluate how MIM services will
fit into their overall service portfolio and adopt the appropriate pricing
strategies. While some SMS erosion will inevitably occur in the process, the right
bundling and positioning of MIM with complementary services will boost overall ARPU,
especially if combined with community features.

Visiongain believes that if mobile operators play their cards right with respect to
pricing and marketing strategies, MIM holds significant potential worldwide. In
Europe alone, visiongain estimates that compelling MIM services will generate almost
$1.5 billion in service revenues by 2009.

"The interest in mobile IM is being driven by perceived benefits such as increasing
data ARPU, service differentiation, churn reduction and building customer loyalty,"
says visiongain analyst and the report's lead author Prachi Nema. "The announcement
in February 2006 that a group of 15 mobile operators worldwide - including Tier 1
players such as Vodafone, Orange and T-Mobile - plans to roll out interoperable
mobile IM services shows that MIM is seen as a significant potential revenue
generator by the operator community."

One challenge for operators in offering comprehensive MIM services is identifying
the right business model. Attracted by fee-based services in the mobile space, fixed
IM service providers such as Yahoo, Microsoft, AOL, Google and ICQ are eagerly
expanding into the mobile domain and trying to gain a dominant position in the MIM
market.

"The tug of war between operators and the fixed line IM service providers is
becoming complex," says Nema. "Would consumers prefer a white label operator
offering to more trusted brands such as MSN? Operator-centric MIM services offer a
wide range of benefits but may not be the best choice for operators in the long
term. Instead, a cooperative model where operators leverage the brand strength of
fixed-line IM service providers will enhance the value proposition to end-users, and
help operators tap into the existing fixed IM customer base more easily.
Interoperability here is key."

This comprehensive report establishes the potential of MIM services in consumer and
corporate markets worldwide, providing subscriber, handset and revenue forecasts. It
describes in detail the underlying technologies, pertinent issues and players in the
MIM value chain. It also analyses current market dynamics, operator deployment plans
and market evolution until 2011. Finally, the report discusses MIM's positioning to
services such as SMS, MMS, e-mail and push-to-talk.

ENDS

Notes for Editors
If you are interested in a more detailed overview of this report, including the
Executive Summary, charts and images, please send an email to
sara.peerun@visiongain.com or phone Sara on +44 (0) 20 8767 6711.

About visiongain
Visiongain is one of the fastest growing and most innovative independent media
companies in Europe. Based in London, UK, visiongain produces a host of
business-2-business conferences, newsletters, management reports and e-zines
focusing on the Telecoms, Pharmaceutical and Defence sectors. \'Visiongain has a
global client base, with offices in London and San Francisco.

Visiongain publishes reports produced by its in-house analysts, who are qualified
experts in their field. Visiongain has firmly established itself as the first
port-of-call for the business professional, who needs independent, high quality,
original material to rely and depend on.

For more information on visiongain, please visit the website:
www.visiongainintelligence.com


Web Site = http://www.visiongain.com

Contact Details = 40 Tooting High Street
London SW17 0RG
00442087676711
sara.peerun@visiongain.com