Yahoo new mail delivers free SMS text messages

New beta offers free text messaging to mobile phone numbers in US, Canada, Philippines and India.

Online search and services giant Yahoo! today unveiled a major update to its online web mail service to feature two new communication options as it battles with Google and MSN/Hotmail.

The first is the offer of free SMS text messages to any mobile phone number within the US, Canada, India or the Philippines. Instant messaging also gets a deal with Yahoo Mail now able to send instant messages to Yahoo Messenger and Windows Live Messenger.

The company says that the new mail service will include added refinements to performance and speed and will become available today via a worldwide rollout.

However, while Yahoo! is focussing on its new service, it has said it intends to continue offering Yahoo! Mail Classic to users as an extra option.

The new text messaging feature is built into the new Instant Messaging client and offers SMS texting in real-time. All users need to do is type in a phone number, add a message and hit the Send button.

The ability to use instant messaging with the email client also extends to switching email messages to IM chats or text message with a simple click.

"We have always been focused on making it easy for people to connect to those who matter most to them, and during the beta testing period of the new Yahoo! Mail, we were able to incorporate a number of enhancements based on valuable feedback from our users," said John Kremer, vice president, Yahoo! Mail. "Now, with the all-new Yahoo! Mail, we're creating a more social e-mail experience. In addition, we wanted to make sure that people have the best possible Web mail experience regardless of their geographic location, preferences or system, so we're continuing to offer our trusted Yahoo! Mail Classic interface."

Other features include email search refinements, shortcuts (for US users only at this stage) as well as the choice of between six different coloured themes.

Both Yahoo! Mail and Mail Classic services are available now.

Yahoo!, Microsoft and Google are locked in a three-way battle for hearts and minds in the new “web 2.0” domain as web-based mail, storage, applications and messaging merge into a single communications portal that aims to deliver to users a complete package that relies less on PCs and more on portability.

New co-branded versions of Yahoo! Mail will also be available by September/October to customers using the following broadband Internet services: AT&T Yahoo! High Speed Internet, Verizon Yahoo! and Rogers Yahoo! Hi-Speed Internet. The company expects the new mail service will be available to Yahoo! Small Business Mail users in the same time frame.

The inclusion of India in its free SMS text messaging service shows the importance the company sees that country with its huge potential audience.

Yahoo has not indicated when its free SMS text message feature will become available to phone numbers in other regions of the world.