AOL's wireless div launches mobile software XT9 in India

New Delhi, Aug 24 (UNI) US-based Tegic Communications, a unit of leading global Internet Service Provider AOL's wireless division, today unveiled its XT9 software, an advanced version of T9 mobile interface software, to enable the users to easily switch between numbers, letters, symbols and languages while messaging.

''With the growing usage of mobile and SMS in India, XT9 will make available all modes of text input on cell phones, ragardless of whether a user is typing text on a keyboard or using a stylus,'' Tegic Emerging Markets Senior Vice President Ray Tsuchiyama told reporters here.

XT9 integrates popular T9 software for the phone keypad, as well as hard and soft normal keyboard, with handwriting recognition capabilities using a stylus, and makes it simpler to type words while web browsing, searching and messaging.

Tegic Communications Vice President (Wireless Development Sale) Eric D Collins said the company has 100 per cent market presence in terms of earlier T9 software, which is available on Nokia, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson handsets.

He, however, said the XT9 software is for businessmen and IT professionals living in high tech cities in India.

The cost of handsets having XT9 software will increase marginally, Mr Collins said, adding it will take many years to replace T9 software, which is mainly for the middle-class users.

AOL Mobile Senior Country Manager Mridul Srivastava said the price of the handset with XT9 feature depends upon the kind of device.

Initially, the company has tied up with Samsung, Toshiba and Taiwan's HTC. These mobile manufacturing companies will use the software in their upcoming models.

Mr Srivastava said talks are also on with Nokia. The company is working closely with Regional Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) offices to bring in XT9 devices to India.

The company is expecting to earn revenues of about 200-250 million dollars by penetrating the specific group of mobile users in India.

''AOL is interested in India because of its market size and numbers of interested customers who have both time and money to spend on the technology,'' Mr Collins.

The company will also set up a number of messaging centres to educate the customers about the software.

Headquatered in US, Tegic Communications was acquired by AOL. It has offices in London, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Beijing, New Delhi, Singapore and Sao Paulo.

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