Vodafone UK is preparing to extend Microsoft MSN functionality to users of its Vodafone Live service.
Vodafone Live users will, from May, be able to access their Hotmail e-mail accounts and have the ability to use MSN Messenger, an instant messaging (IM) service, through their mobile phones. Vodafone Live is the company"s suite of mobile entertainment services, which include downloadable games and ringtones, as well as news and information services and limited location-based and m-commerce facilities.
For Microsoft, the move is expected to further deepen the company"s impact in the mobile space, following a push over the last two years that has seen the Redmond giant introduce mobile operating systems, new wireless gadgets and scaled-down versions of its popular software applications.