Symbian and America Online to provide mobile media, messaging and entertainment for Symbian OS smartphones

Symbian and America Online announced that America Online has joined Symbian’s Platinum Program. As a Symbian Platinum partner, America Online is able to develop its wireless instant messaging services (AOL® Instant Messenger™ and ICQ®) for Symbian OS™ mobile phones. In addition, America Online will have the ability to develop content-based services and applications for Symbian OS.

"By becoming a Symbian Platinum Partner, we can more easily and effectively deploy a broad range of media and entertainment content to Symbian licensees who manufacture over 75 per cent of the world’s mobile phones sold today,“ said Bill Schwebel, Vice President and General Manager of AOL Mobile. “In addition, we are excited at the opportunity to provide greater wireless access to AIM and ICQ via this partnership, creating even greater opportunities for our users to take their instant messaging experience mobile.”

AIM and ICQ mobile products allow wireless subscribers to access their list of contacts on their phone, see who is online and available to chat at any given moment, search for new or old friends and send and receive messages.