Millions already use instant messaging on PCs connected to the Internet.
The Wireless Village initiative, chaired by Nokia's director of messaging, Frank Dawson, intends to deliver architectural, protocol and test specifications and tools for instant messaging and presence services by the end of this year. The initiative is open to participation from the industry. Though the mobile services would have capabilities similar to those offered on a PC, the creators of the Wireless Village initiative envision phone users paying for most of the functionality. In the mobile sphere it is more relevant than in the PC environment to know whether somebody is available or busy. The presence service will open up a new market and could also be linked with other services, like calendars.