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Microsoft Hooks Up with Orange on Mobile Messaging By Tim Gray October 19, 2006 10:42AM     Ian Fogg, a senior analyst with Jupiter Research, said that what will make the Microsoft-Orange deal particularly interesting for users is that they will be able to track contacts online through a "buddy list," meaning that PC users will be able to text-message their contacts on mobile phones, and vice versa.   Related Topics Microsoft Windows Live MSN Messenger Text Messaging Latest News Plasma-TV Ban Could Be Costly Barnes & Noble Nook Is Delayed Flat PC Shipments Hurt Dell's Stock Ballmer Says Windows 7 Sales Good New Pogoplug 'Cloud' Gets Social Microsoft and France Telecom subsidiary Orange will launch an MSN instant-messaging system on mobile phones in Europe come this December. The deal is designed to shrink the gap between mobile phones and PCs, as subscribers will now be able to conduct real-time chats by voice or text on both platforms. The service, dubbed Orange Messenger by Windows Live, represents yet another step toward converging mobile technology with computers. "The European market generally is one of the most convergent on the planet," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said during a news conference. "This is the first time that two leading software and telecommunications companies have joined forces to offer an instant-messaging service that can be accessed from both PC and mobile devices." Connectivity 24/7 Joe Wilcox, an analyst at Jupiter Research, noted that MSN Messenger is already available on numerous platforms around the world, but he pointed out that the deal with Orange in Europe marks a further commitment on the part of Microsoft to create more and more mobile capabilities for the traditional PC. "Most people don't carry around a PC," Wilcox quipped. "But they do carry cell phones." The launch of the new offering, he said, reflects both firms' ongoing convergence strategies. The companies said that, once the new software is deployed in France, Britain, and Spain, they would look at offering other services, including video-conferencing on 3G-capable mobile phones. "Our ambition is to offer simple convergent services, bringing our customers into the world of always-on connectivity," said Didier Lombard, CEO of France Telecom, in a statement. More Services Coming Ian Fogg, a senior analyst with Jupiter Research, said that what will make the deal particularly interesting for users is that they will be able to track contacts online through a "buddy list," meaning that PC users will be able to text-message their contacts on mobile phones, and vice versa. "The buddy list becomes a platform to enable carriers to generate new revenue," said Fogg, who also noted that other options, such as group video-conferencing, might not be too far off. Yahoo, a major competitor to Microsoft in the instant-messaging space, already has partnerships with cellular providers BT in Britain and Buoygues in France for similar instant-messaging offerings. The financial details of the Microsoft-Orange deal were not disclosed. But Ballmer did tip his hat at the news conference to some extent. "This is not about a licensing arrangement," he said. "We are coming together as two equal partners in sharing costs and revenues."   Advertisement  Personal Tech 1.   Plasma-TV Ban Could Be Costly 2.   Call of Duty Is Setting Records 3.   Watchmakers Turn to the iPhone 4.   Google Will Caption YouTube Videos 5.   Call of Duty Shatters Game Records Frugal Twitter-Only Device Offered TwitterPeek doesn't need a data plan. Average Rating: Multimedia E-Reader Unveiled Creative Labs prepares Mediabook. Average Rating: AMD Unveils Processor Road Map Emphasis will be on graphics, video. Average Rating:

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Network Security Spotlight

House Lawmakers Push Ban on Peer-to-Peer Software Stung by an embarrassing electronic leak revealing ethics investigations into dozens of lawmakers, Congress moved to prohibit federal employees from using the file-sharing software blamed for the disclosure.   GAO: Los Alamos Computer Security Has Weaknesses Security weaknesses uncovered in Los Alamos National Laboratory's computer network increase the risk of a classified-information breach, says the Government Accountability Office.   Computer Security Firm Fortinet Plans IPO This Week Fortinet plans to go public in an initial public offering, giving investors a chance to tap a network security provider with sales that are expected to grow. The IPO could be valued at $137.5 million or more.

Enterprise Hardware Spotlight

Flat Shipments Hurt Dell Despite Increased Earnings Dell's earnings are up and expectations are solid, but the company's stock still took a hit after analysts signaled the company isn't playing a key role in the PC market recovery.   New Pogoplug 'Personal Cloud' Does Social Networking Cloud Engines has released its newest version of the Pogoplug, a small "multimedia sharing device" that connects hard drives to the Internet and allows a user to access the files remotely.   Apple Tablet Rumored Delayed as Publisher Gears Up There have been so many rumors of an Apple tablet that it has taken on legendary status. But now the legend is being revised with reports of a delay and that a major publisher is getting ready.

Enterprise Technology Spotlight

Flat Shipments Hurt Dell Despite Increased Earnings Dell's earnings are up and expectations are solid, but the company's stock still took a hit after analysts signaled the company isn't playing a key role in the PC market recovery.   Smartphones: A Bigger Target for Security Threats Smartphones are increasingly prevalent and adept at handling more tasks, including trading stocks, paying bills, and buying stuff online. That makes them attractive to thieves and hackers.   FBI Says Hackers Targeting Law Firms, PR Companies Hackers are targeting law firms and public relations companies with a sophisticated e-mail scheme that breaks into their computer networks to steal sensitive data, often linked to large corporate clients.

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