Mobile Group Messaging From Palringo Pre-Loaded on Alcatel OneTouch 890 Smartphone

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Palringo, the mobile group messaging company, today announced that its mobile application is now preloaded on the Alcatel OneTouch 890 smartphone, bringing the number of device models featuring the innovative group messaging application to more than 100.  In addition to Alcatel, Palringo works with Samsung, Cellon, Vodafone and others to preinstall Palringo Messenger on both smartphones and feature phones, bringing the most robust multimedia messaging capabilities to any type of device.  The service currently has more than 11 million users handling more than 10 billion messages a month over its telco-grade network.

Pre-loading the Palringo application allows manufacturers and operators to offer low-cost, basic phones with differentiated features such as push-to-talk, picture messaging, and location and presence functionality.  Consumers also gain immediate access to Palringo's community of more than 300K interest groups, where discussions range from gaming, to sports, to travel to current events.  In addition, manufacturers can work with Palringo to develop their own branded IM networks, group communities and active address books that can integrate presence, location and status information for contacts.

"The Alcatel OneTouch 890 is the latest device to integrate our service at purchase, and we are finding that consumers who purchase these devices generally have higher rates of data and internet usage, as they communicate with friends and discover new interest groups," said Tim Rea, CEO, Palringo.  "We're pleased to offer manufacturers and carriers a way to differentiate their services and drive consumer loyalty."

How Does it Work?

Palringo has developed its own end-to-end telco-grade IM network with a proprietary protocol designed specifically to enable rich communications on any mobile device.  The Palringo client works on all major mobile OSes, provides a robust network with more than 300,000 active affinity groups, and is able to connect to popular IM services.  In addition to sending text-based IMs, users enjoy a host of additional features including:

• Voice:  A flexible form of push-to-talk messaging that allows users to use their phones like walkie-talkies;
• Pictures:  Palringo makes it easy to snap a picture on the phone, or select a picture from the on-device album, and drop it into an on-going discussion with an individual or within a group.
• Groups:  Palringo's group function is flexible and scalable and can easily accommodate hundreds of individuals within a group, making it a perfect communications tool for clubs, games enthusiasts and other affinity-based groups;
• Location:  Palringo offers a rich location/presence functionality that adds an additional level of communication within groups.  

About Palringo

Founded in 2006, the UK and San Francisco-based Palringo has built a new type of mobile communication solution. With more than 11 million users sending tens of billions of messages monthly, the company has built a hardened, scalable system that delivers a compelling user experience to the consumer and a valuable communications tool to the enterprise.  For more information, visit www.palringo.com

SOURCE Palringo