Palringo, a messaging service that extends all the powerful functionality of PC-based IM services, including voice and picture messages, to mobile devices, has released its software client for BlackBerry® smartphones from Research In Motion (RIM). Palringo’s Rich Messaging Service is available for the BlackBerry® Pearl™, BlackBerry® Curve™ and BlackBerry® 8800 series smartphones.

BlackBerry smartphone users can now easily chat using voice and picture messages as well as traditional text. Further, they can do so with other users of many of the popular PC-based IM services—such as AOL’s AIM, Windows Live Messenger and Google Talk—through one, easy-to-use Palringo interface. Equally important, they can do so whether sitting at a computer, tapping with a smartphone or Pocket PC stylus, or using a BlackBerry.

Palringo presents a user’s contacts from all services into one combined, presence-aware list, eliminating the need to continually switch between multiple IM tools. In addition, Palringo’s dynamic “vocal instant messaging” combines walkie-talkie style voice chat, the real-time text functionality of IM and the ability to share pictures, all within the context of one “threaded” discussion.

Palringo lets the user set up an unlimited number of groups and send a voice, text, or picture message to all group members at once, a feature with obvious value for corporate as well as social use. (Think fellow employees, alumni, team players and their parents.) Neither does it limit recipients to simply those on the same wireless network. Palringo does not charge at all, unlike other wireless-carrier-supplied text messaging services that charge for each recipient and in some cases per message. While a mobile data plan or Wi-Fi access is required to use Palringo, the service’s instant messages take up very small amounts of data, minimizing costs.

Palringo service is also available worldwide, which means discussions can incorporate users from across the globe, on any mobile network or connected PC. This makes it very attractive for multi-national corporate users or extended family use.

“As users increasingly expect to take their applications with them wherever they go, they also expect to pack them into fewer devices,” said Kerry Ritz, CEO. “By putting our rich messaging service on the BlackBerry platform, we at Palringo increase messaging reach and depth for the greatest number of users. We also reduce the number of installed applications they need to have on their mobile device or PC.”

Palringo’s Rich Messaging Service for BlackBerry smartphones is available now for free download at www.palringo.com. The service is also compatible with Windows Mobile, Symbian and Java-based clients, including devices from Nokia, Motorola, LG, Samsung, HTC and Sony Ericsson.

The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited.

About Palringo

Palringo makes Instant Messaging work on mobile. The service combines walkie-talkie style voice (Vocal Instant Messaging) with the real-time text chat functionality of Instant Messaging and enriches communications further by offering the ability to share pictures within the context of a discussion. The service supports both one-on-one and group discussions, and enables real-time dialogue that can incorporate users from across the globe, on any mobile network or connected PC. The application supports efficient connections to other popular Instant Messaging services and enables mobile users to send vocal IM and picture messages along with the more common text chat.