Russian mobile network operator MegaFon has selected NeuStar to launch its new IM service.
Using NeuStar's Instant Messaging Service Centre (IMSC), MegaFon will launch its own branded messenger solution. MegaFon Messenger is already available on dozens of mobile handsets, with more to follow, In time it will be offered as a PC client.
All three of Russia's major operators have now launched mobile IM services. MegaFon plans for the service to be interconnected with Vimpelcom's Beeline and MTS' IM service. Vimpelcom's Beeline IM service is enabled by NeuStar technology.
Subscribers using the service will have access to a MegaFon-branded IM client either already on their handset or as a download. Users can to chat with friends and other MegaFon subscribers in custom-made chat rooms. The service supports two-way interoperability between SMS and mobile IM, so consumers can use a combination of both to communicate.