14 DAY TRIAL // Being able to use Instant Messaging on your mobile phone is a rather great thing, and users who live in either US or Europe know this as they are able to use the feature anytime they'd like to talk with any of their friends. The service allows them to send messages to any mobile number, no matter the network that the phone uses, and with a lot of IM applications available out there the feature has gained a lot of popularity.
And while those who use it in said areas are able to enjoy it freely, mobile phone subscribers in South Korea do not benefit from the same kind of freedom. They are indeed able to use Instant Messaging, but only with their friends who share the same service provider as them. This doesn't sound so great all of a sudden, yet it seems that good news is heading towards South Korean mobile phone users too.
Starting with April, users in the country might be able to use the IM service regardless of their service provider. Things won't be that difficult in making this move, it seems, due to the fact that there are only three cell phone carriers in the country, namely SK Telecom, KTF and LG Telecom, and they are reported to be already working on an IMS (IP Multimedia Subsytem) that is supposed to allow users to use instant messaging between their networks, reports UnwiredView.
According to the news, starting with next month, mobile subscribers in South Korea should be able to use the inter-carrier Instant Messaging services, which would include MSN and NateOn. For what it’s worth, Korean carriers might see their SMS revenues go down after this move, yet it seems that they are already on track with the plan, and users won't have to wait too long until they’ll be able to chat with their friends who are connected to a different network.