Both Barrels Communications Ltd

Truphone today integrated AOL® Instant Messenger® (AIM) into its iPhone™ and iPod™ touch applications. Now Truphone customers on both devices can reach their AIM friends via their AIM identity.

With the addition of AIM, Truphone customers can now keep in touch with over 800 million addressable accounts for free.

The integration of this fifth messaging service reinforces Truphone as the “all-in-one conversations hub” for iPhone and iPod Touch users. Truphone has already integrated Google Talk™, Skype™, Windows Live Messenger™ and Yahoo!® Messenger into its applications for these devices, blending a combination of voice and instant messaging across multiple IM platforms within one application.

“Our goal is for mobile phone users to be able to reach any contact in their address book or on their buddy list, in a low cost way, at any time, using just one application,” said Geraldine Wilson, Truphone CEO. “Today’s announcement means that iPhone and iPod touch users gain a great way to stay in touch with AOL Instant Messenger users.

“We will continue to integrate further services and functionality, on other platforms too, giving people everything they need to stay in touch all within the Truphone application,” she stated.

Using Truphone to communicate with any of the five supported IM services is free over the Internet. When not in Wi-fi, Apple iPhone users can also make and receive calls and messages to and from Skype and Google Talk for the cost of a local call*, using the Truphone Anywhere feature. Voice calling functionality will be added to AIM, Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger in the coming months.

[ends]

*Operator roaming charges will apply if users are abroad.

Additional resources

• Truphone web site
• Truphone press office
• Geraldine Wilson (alternative photo)
• Truphone photos (Flickr)

Notes to editors

1. AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) has more than 100 million users worldwide.
2. Both Truphone for iPhone and Truphone for iPod touch are free to download from the Apple App Store. Neither application has any rental, subscription or other hidden charges.
3. Making a Truphone call on an iPhone or iPod touch couldn’t be simpler: Truphone displays a virtual keypad for dialling the number.
4. Wi-Fi hotspots are commonplace in offices, schools, campuses, at home, and even across entire town and city centres. Truphone uses the Wi-fi connectivity of the iPhone/iPod touch to carry instant messages over the internet to its destination.

About Truphone
The first true mobile internet network operator, Truphone allows users of Wi-Fi-enabled mobile phones to make and receive regular telephone calls, and to send and receive SMS [text] messages, using only a Wi-Fi connection and the internet. It has users in 149 countries.
Truphone is the trading name of Software Cellular Network (SCN). SCN is privately owned, funded by both venture capital investment and angel investors.

AOL and AOL Instant Messenger are trademarks of America Online, Inc. Apple, iPhone and iPod are trademarks of Apple Inc, registered in the United States and other countries. Google and Google Talk are trademarks of Google Inc. Skype is a registered trademark of Skype Limited. Microsoft and Windows Live are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Yahoo! is a trademark of Yahoo, Inc. Wi-fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-fi Alliance. Truphone is a trademark of Software Cellular Network Ltd. Skype and SkypeIn are trademarks of Skype Limited. All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners.