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MSN, Vodafone to launch PC-to-mobile instant messaging
MUMBAI: MSN and Vodafone are planning to launch a first-of-its-kind seamless instant messaging (IM) service between PCs and mobile phones.
Customers will be able to see the “presence” of their contacts and exchange instant messages between MSN Messenger on a PC and Vodafone Messenger on mobile phones and vice versa.
By offering customers a seamless PC-to-mobile messaging option with instant messaging, MSN and Vodafone will expand communication choices, delivering an enhanced messaging offering for MSN and Vodafone customers who want to stay in touch with friends, family and colleagues.
The service will be based on the familiar mobile commercial model of “Calling Party Pays.” As they do today, Vodafone customers will prepay or pay for the service through their monthly bill, while MSN Messenger customers will be able to pay through packages available in connection with MSN Messenger.
The service will bring together customers of MSN Messenger (165 million customers) and Vodafone (155 million customers) as messaging continues to grow in popularity on PCs and mobile phones.
Building on and complementing the messaging success of SMS, instant messaging between PCs and mobile phones enables new service benefits to customers such as immediacy, the ability to tell whether a contact is available to receive a message (presence) and the ability to see the text of whole conversations.
“MSN and Vodafone are working to enhance messaging between mobile phones and PCs, ultimately delivering a richer experience to customers. By enabling our customers to see each other’s presence on both PC and mobile devices, we are expanding our customers’ ability to make smart communication choices and connect instantly
via IM to the people they care about most,” said MSN Communication Services corporate vice president and Member Platform group at Microsoft Corp Blake Irving.
“We have brought together two of the world’s largest messaging communities with a first of its kind for both industries — a seamless PC-to-mobile instant messaging service. Vodafone customers will now be able to use IM and its additional service benefits to stay in touch with mobile and PC friends and family. IM is a growing part of the increasingly important mobile messaging market. By bringing our collective customers together, we’ll deliver more options for staying in touch when messaging. Our agreement will grow IM and SMS, meaning additional revenue for Vodafone,” said Vodafone chief marketing officer Peter Bamford.
MSN and Vodafone plan to launch the enhanced messaging service in several European countries before the end of the year.
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Bombay Dyeing highlights sleep environment on World Sleep Day 2026
#ComfortThatCares campaign promotes better sleep through home textiles.
MUMBAI: In a country that rarely switches off, the real luxury may simply be a good night’s sleep. Marking World Sleep Day 2026, Bombay Dyeing & Manufacturing Company Ltd. is spotlighting the importance of sleep environments through its #ComfortThatCares initiative, encouraging consumers to rethink not just how long they sleep but how well they sleep.
The campaign arrives at a time when rising stress levels, digital fatigue and increasingly erratic daily routines are quietly eroding sleep quality for many Indians. This year’s global theme, “Sleep Well, Live Better”, underscores the idea that sleep is not merely the reward after a productive day but a critical foundation that makes productivity possible.
Bombay Dyeing’s initiative focuses on the often overlooked role of home textiles in shaping sleep quality. Factors such as breathable fabrics, temperature regulation and proper pillow support can significantly influence whether people achieve restorative sleep.
As part of the campaign, the company is highlighting several products from its sleep portfolio designed to address these environmental factors. The Urban Living Luxury Bedsheets range features 400 thread count cotton blends designed for breathability and temperature regulation. Meanwhile, the Celebrating India collection offers 100 percent pure cotton bedsheets in a 300 thread count with heritage inspired designs.
The brand’s range also includes lightweight comforters designed for year round use without overheating, bonded blankets that provide insulated warmth with a soft touch finish, and ergonomically designed pillows intended to balance plush comfort with proper neck support.
According to the company’s brand marketing team, sleep is a fundamental component of both physical and mental well being.
“Through #ComfortThatCares, we want to encourage families across India to treat sleep as essential rather than an afterthought. For 145 years, Bombay Dyeing has focused on bringing comfort into Indian homes, and few things matter more to that comfort than restful sleep,” the team said.
Sleep experts typically recommend between seven and nine hours of quality rest for healthy adults. Yet late night screen use, long working hours and irregular schedules have made consistent sleep increasingly difficult for many urban Indians.
By emphasising breathable cotton bedsheets, supportive pillows and balanced bedding layers, Bombay Dyeing’s campaign highlights a simple idea: the environment people sleep in can be just as important as the hours they spend in bed.
