Yahoo Mail New Feature to Allow E-Mailers Text-Message to Phones

Internet media giant, Yahoo, has unveiled its new service which allows its email users to deliver free text messages to their friends’ mobile phone. Currently this new and free email-to-phone connection service is available to mobile phone users in Canada, US, Philippines and India.

However, Yahoo will add this feature to iits 250 million email users worldwide in coming weeks. Via this service, Yahoo wish to transform its Yahoo mail franchise into more of a social activity that blends the convenience of instant communication with the implicit network of relationships found in one’s online address book. John Kremer, vice president of Yahoo mail claimed that the new feature will create a “more social” email experience.

This new texting feature is working in almost the same way as standard emailing. Instead of typing in the email address, users need to type in the phone number. Every message will be limited to 150 characters. Unlike a traditional email inbox, the system creates an instant message style interface to allow users to track the course of the conversation. Users also have the option of connecting to their contacts via Yahoo Messenger or Windows Live Messenger through the Mail interface. They can also convert email messages into IM chats or switch to a text message dialogue if the person they are chatting to comes online or goes mobile.