Yahoo offers free SMS text messages

NI Wire

New Delhi

Thu, 30 Aug 2007: 

Aug 30: In the bitter triangle between Yahoo, Google and MSN/Hotmail; Yahoo has introduced a free mail-to-sms service in US, Canada, India and Philippines to surpass its rival in popularity, while in reply Google s introduced to deliver StarOffice as a free office package of enhance the number of clients.

Yahoo has announced to introduce a new version of Mail service that would allow its users to send SMS messages at free of cost via using Yahoo messenger. The new Yahoo mail also included a feature of Integrated Messaging service that will let the users to send IM to other Yahoo Messenger or Windows Live Messenger users.

In India, Hutch, Airtel, Spice, Escotel and Reliance users can use the service of Yahoo SMS and Instant Messaging. The user can send IM chats or text message with a simple click

The new text-messaging feature will be almost similar to classic sms that is limited to 150 characters each. The difference is that now users have to input mobile number instead of email address. All users need to do is type in a phone number, add a message and hit the Send button. The users can also send SMS from the mobile to the Yahoo messenger, if the Yahoo user is online and email-servicing feature is available in the mobile handset.

According to Yahoo, “the new mail service will include added refinements to performance and speed and will become available today via a worldwide rollout”. The Yahoo classic service is continued to the Yahoo users and this new version is an extra option for the Yahoo lovers.

"We have always been focused on making it easy for people to connect to those who matter most to them, and during the beta testing period of the new Yahoo! Mail, we were able to incorporate a number of enhancements based on valuable feedback from our users," said John Kremer, vice president, Yahoo! Mail on the occasion of launching this new services in USA.

"Now, with the all-new Yahoo! Mail, we're creating a more social e-mail experience. In addition, we wanted to make sure that people have the best possible Web mail experience regardless of their geographic location, preferences or system, so we're continuing to offer our trusted Yahoo! Mail Classic interface.", added John.

There are some additional features including email search refinements, shortcuts worlds (for US users only at this stage) and the choice of selecting six different coloured themes. Yahoo has not disclosed yet when to open this facility in the other parts of the world.