Microsoft claims it's creaming AOL and Yahoo!

MICROSOFT IS MOVING rapidly to sign European mobile network operators up to its existing IM (Instant Messaging) service, MSN Messenger.

The company claims to have 14.6 million active users of its mobile MSN Messenger service in the EMEA region so far compared to just 5.6 million for AIM and ICQ users or the 2.4 million mobile Yahoo! users. Of those 14.6 million, 4.6 million are in the UK alone.

In total there are 22 mobile network operating in 13 countries throughout the EMEA region. The vast majority of existing users are accessing the service via SMS. However, with devices such as the SPV from Orange it is possible to run a full Messenger client.

With this in mind Microsoft has just done a deal with T-Mobile at 3GSM Cannes and T-Mobile will be the first to offer Pocket MSN.

The latter is a whole bundle of MSN services (including IM) aimed at Pocket PC and Smartphone owners. T-Mobile intends to launch an HTC manufactured Windows Smartphone device later in this year.

If Microsoft gets too much of a lead, it will kill off operator led alternative IM services based on Wireless Village standards.

Even though technically superior, such offerings will have too few subscribers to appeal to mobile phone users as a viable means of communicating instantly with friends/colleagues. µ