Opinion
Telecom firms expand IM services in China
By Wang Xianyi (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-12-07 07:51
Latecomers
China Telecom is preparing to take on the IM market leader with the cooperation of market latecomers.
China Telecom launched an IM service, Tianyi Live, in cooperation with MSN. It is designed to transmit SMS between different networks and offline messages.
The service is expected to earn an advantage in the competition with Fetion by enhancing user loyalty and increasing market share in the IM market.
China Telecom wanted to differentiate Tianyi Live from other IM software. China Telecom improved the compatibility of Tianyi Live with other software programs by combining various services and applications.
Tianyi Live includes services such as I-Music, HD movies, TV programs, information on the economy and a "photo-print" option. It is designed for the 3G era, facilitating interactive communications between PCs and mobile phones.
China Telecom established a new IM model that is closely linked with telecom services through Tianyi Live and maintains service quality through a partnership with the Microsoft Windows Live Platform.
Strategic implications
China Telecom's Tianyi Live paved a new road in the Internet services sector. China Telecom concentrated on establishing an integrated information service platform between PCs and mobile equipment to secure an advantage in the 3G era.
The company's IM strategy could possibly influence CDMA cell phone manufacturers. Korean and Japanese telecom operators also plan to expand services and will greatly influence the made-to-order production of cell phones.
The author is a researcher with Samsung Economic Research Institute (China). The views expressed here are his own.
