Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Spanish Mobile Operators Offer 'Joyn' Rich Communications


Spain’s three leading mobile network operators, Movistar, Orange and Vodafone, are now offering interoperable Rich Communication Services (RCS) under the consumer-facing brand joyn.
Movistar, Orange and Vodafone are initially offering joyn services through an application for Android, with a version for the iPhone to follow shortly. 
joyn is based on the GSMA's  RCS 5.0 standard, enabling mobile users  to chat and enrich messaging or voice calls by exchanging images or video simultaneously during calls, in a private and secure manner, with any member of their contact list that has joyn, regardless of the user’s network or mobile device. Additional services, such as VoIP or IP-video caling,l will be introduced in the near future.  joyn operates on both the operators’ mobile networks and on Wi-Fi networks.
“The GSMA is delighted that joyn services are now available across Spain, giving customers a greater choice of communication possibilities without compromising the quality and security they have come to expect from their mobile operator,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “This initial implementation of a new technology clearly required a major effort and strong leadership in the alignment of the ecosystem of manufacturers, developers and integrators, and operators. Consumers across the world will benefit from the leading efforts of these three operators in Spain.”
Other operators who have launched joyn services include Deutsche TelekomVodafone Germany, and MetroPCS.