Yahoo! went live today with new Yahoo! Mail Web service, most notably adding free, real-time text messaging built right into the e-mail Web interface.
The feature lets Yahoo! Mail users send text messages to mobile phones directly from the Web and from within their e-mail box, effectively integrating these two vital forms of communication.
The short message service (SMS) is built on top of Yahoo!’s instant messaging product, which is integrated into the new Yahoo Mail. Yahoo Mail users can easily switch via mail, SMS and IM via pull-down menu.
Integration of Web sites and services with SMS offerings has picked up pace lately. So-called micro-blogging services, best exemplified by Twitter, are built from the ground up with mobile integration in mind.
SMS-Web integration represents a good example of how telephony applications and Web applications can complement one another and create new communications tools for end users.
