Chikka Asia, the company that launched the world’s first mobile IM to integrate SMS and multimedia capabilities in 2001, has introduced Chikka 2.0.
The new Chikka features browser-based messaging and other mobile functionalities that adopt the new wave of Web technologies and applications that use the Internet as platform — Web 2.0.
“Our own revolution is inspired by this ‘Internet renaissance,’ but is more significantly imbued with the best of mobile services we have been enabling for the last six years, for some of the world’s most demanding mobile markets,” said Chito Bustamante, chief operating officer of Chikka Asia Inc.
Chikka 2.0 features version 4 of the Chikka Messenger which is interoperable with Google Talk and now also connects to Yahoo!, MSN, AIM, and ICQ.
The site will also allow the delivery of mobile content and mobile call credits, all directly accessed from the Web.
Chikka 2.0 will also support social networking and user-generated content (UGC), hallmarks of the new breed of popular sites on Web 2.0.
Users will be able to set up personal profiles, upload photos and videos, or blog within their Chikka profile page.
“Chikka 2.0 now addresses mobile communities with fast and reliable connectivity for services that include the transfer of mobile call credits, the delivery of mobile content such as tones and images, and of course, SMS and MMS,” Bustamante said.
“These new mobile capabilities are expected to make popular online communities even more vibrant. We envision Internet and mobile communities uniting like never before,” he added.
Chikka’s wireless applications are currently deployed through the networks of over 50 mobile carriers in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, India, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong.
A loyal community of more than 38 million users is built around the original Chikka Messenger’s unbeatable mobile connectivity.