It seems that just about any street, anywhere you walk these days, you have to get out of the way of someone whose head is buried in their smartphone. If they are not looking up directions and trying to follow the map on their phone, they are texting or chatting with someone.
There is an app that works with Android and iPhones designed to make it even easier to connect and share messages with family and friends: Messaging Plus, which is a cloud-based app that allows such a connection on the Sprint network.
Jibe Mobile is a global communications cloud company. It provides an open technology platform. It is a company that has committed itself to help build the next global communications network. This cloud company is what powers Messaging Plus.
Messaging Plus is a free app. It is easy to install on smartphones running on Android and iOS platforms. According to Jibe Mobile co-founder and CEO Amir Sarhangi, “Messaging Plus is a Sprint consumer communications app powered by Jibe Mobile, which is being rolled out by Sprint to connect its smartphone customers and their friends with the latest messaging and sharing services.”
“Messaging Plus delivers high quality video, real-time messaging and sharing with the telecom-tested quality and interoperability that mobile subscribers really want as part of their mobile messaging experience.”
Sprint customers can download the app to their device from various places. These areas include Sprint Zone, Sprint.com, Google Play or the Apple App Store. Once the app is installed, Sprint customers with Messaging Plus can invite their family and friends to download the application from Google Play or the Apple App Store to their device.
What makes this latest version of the app unique is that, once it is installed on another smartphone, the Sprint customer will have the ability to enable all the messaging features across carriers in a single application. Sarhangi told me, “Messaging Plus delivers high quality video, real-time messaging and sharing with the telecom-tested quality and interoperability that mobile subscribers really want as part of their mobile messaging experience.”
The launch was announced today, Oct. 14, 2013. Messaging Plus launched on the Sprint network running on select Android and iPhones. This app will not work on all devices; the current list is as follows:
- HTC EVO 4G LTE
- HTC One
- iPhone 4
- iPhone 4S
- iPhone 5
- Samsung Galaxy S3
- Samsung Galaxy S4
- Samsung Galaxy Victory
- Samsung Note 2
While Messaging Plus will only work with the nine mentioned devices, the goal is to have the app pre-installed on all Android powered smartphones in the near future.
Wayne Ward, vice president of business and product development at Sprint, made the following comment: “Messaging Plus is another industry first for Sprint and another example of our countless innovations that enable customers to do more with their wireless device. We are excited to bring all messaging capabilities into one easy-to-use application and, we are pleased to be able to grow the use of the technology by having Messaging Plus users invite their contacts on any carrier in the United States to download it to their device. It makes it simple and convenient for everyone to connect with friends and family the way they want.”
What does make this an interesting app is the fact that as of today, if both parties have Messaging Plus on their smartphones, they can:
- Send standard text messages over data or Wi-Fi
- Chat with friends and family in real time
- Make voice calls over data or Wi-Fi from within the app
- See the person you’re talking to and never miss a thing with video calling
- Share files, photos and videos with one person or a whole group
- Share your location with your friends for easy meet-ups and accurate directions
“Working together, Sprint and Jibe Mobile have redefined the communications experience consumers should expect from their mobile operator, providing everyone in North America with HD video chat, group messaging, and sharing on both their iPhone and Android smartphone.” This is what Sarhangi had to say about today’s announcement.
He added, “The traditional way of assembling infrastructure takes too long and is too costly. Embracing the cloud is the key to putting the infrastructure in place today to keep subscribers 'on Network' for their preferred mobile experience. The cloud enables a flexible delivery model when time to market is key. Based on industry standards, the cloud offers global reach today while leveraging standards as they evolve in the industry. Using the Jibe IP Communications Cloud, and IP consumer communications app, these services don't need in-network integration and can be deployed in weeks. This ‘Cloud First’ approach allows carriers to deploy their service today in the cloud and iterate on features quickly, as well as learn from their customer base and address rapidly emerging market needs with feature innovation.”
Sprint is the only carrier that is currently providing mobile consumers with this level of simple, real-time messaging and sharing across Android and iPhone smartphones from a single app. All in an app that includes telecom-level security, quality of service, and regional/global interoperability.
Edited by
Alisen Downey 
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