# Followap

> Followap pioneered mobile instant messaging. In November 2000 it launched the world's first commercial mobile messenger with Eircell — nearly a decade before WhatsApp — and the GSMA programme it built for became RCS.

This is the Followap archive: the company's story, its technology, and its press releases from 2000 to 2007, recovered from the company's own website and the Internet Archive. Release texts are reproduced as originally published.

## Pages

- [The story](https://followap.com/story/): Followap's history, from the Eircell launch in 2000 to the NeuStar acquisition in 2006
- [Technology](https://followap.com/technology/): the iFollow platform — Instant Messaging Service Centre, Presence Platform, Interconnect Platform and handset clients — and the operators that ran it
- [Personal IM became RCS](https://followap.com/rcs/): how the GSMA's Personal IM initiative, which Followap's platform powered, led to RCS
- [Press archive](https://followap.com/press/): every release, in date order
- [Media](https://followap.com/media/): operator adverts, a product demonstration and an interview
- [Contact](https://followap.com/contact/): corrections, additions and research enquiries

## Press releases

- [Followap launches iFollow, the premier interoperable wireless instant messenger](https://followap.com/press/followap-launches-ifollow-the-premier-interoperable-wireless-instant-m/): 2 May 2000. The product launch, from Sunnyvale, California — six months before the first operator deployment. iFollow lets WAP users join customised communities and message across to internet messengers.
- [Followap's platform completes Ericsson's GPRS Mobile Application Initiative test](https://followap.com/press/followap-s-platform-completes-ericsson-s-gprs-mobile-application-initi/): 4 September 2000. Followap passes Ericsson's Mobile Application Initiative performance evaluation for GPRS, clearing its messaging platform for launch on next-generation packet networks.
- [Followap and LocatioNet create the first location-based mobile instant messaging platform](https://followap.com/press/followap-and-locationet-create-the-first-location-based-mobile-instant/): 21 November 2000. An MOU to integrate LocatioNet's real-time location platform into iFollow — signed two days before the Eircell agreement.
- [Followap and Eircell launch the world's first mobile Instant Messenger](https://followap.com/press/eircell-worlds-first-mobile-messenger/): 23 November 2000. Followap's iFollow, branded by Eircell as 'e-merge messenger', becomes the first instant messaging service commercially available on mobile phones — bridging WAP handsets and PCs.
- [Carmel Ventures leads a $10 million investment in Followap](https://followap.com/press/carmel-ventures-leads-a-10-million-investment-in-followap/): 31 January 2001. Carmel Ventures leads a $10 million round, joined by Star Ventures, Koor Corporate Venture Capital and The Israel Corporation — the last two named as the company's initial investors.
- [Siemens and Followap join forces to provide mobile instant messaging](https://followap.com/press/siemens-and-followap-join-forces-to-provide-mobile-instant-messaging/): 20 February 2001. Announced at 3GSM in Cannes: Siemens Information and Communication Mobile will integrate iFollow into its existing and future mobile application services.
- [Followap announces a $2 million investment by Siemens' Mustang Ventures](https://followap.com/press/followap-announces-a-2-million-investment-by-siemens-mustang-ventures/): 5 June 2001. Siemens' venture arm invests $2 million, on top of the $10 million Carmel Ventures round closed in January, alongside a commercial partnership to integrate iFollow into Siemens IC Mobile's offering.
- [Vodafone selects iFollow to deliver messaging, presence and location to 93 million subscribers](https://followap.com/press/vodafone-selects-ifollow-to-deliver-messaging-presence-and-location-to/): 16 July 2001. Followap's own announcement of the Vodafone Group agreement, a month before Vodafone's. Sole provider of IMPL systems across the group, creating what both companies called the largest wireless instant messaging community in the world.
- [Vodafone introduces instant messaging to its networks](https://followap.com/press/vodafone-global-agreement/): 19 July 2001. Vodafone Group signs a global agreement making Followap the sole provider of its instant messaging platform, beginning with Omnitel in Italy and Eircell in Ireland.
- [Followap launches its Mobile Device Partnership Program (MDPP)](https://followap.com/press/mobile-device-partnership-program/): 13 November 2001. A programme to embed Followap's iMMS client — combining mobile IM and MMS in one interface — directly into 2G, 2.5G and 3G handsets, so subscribers never have to install software.
- [Followap announces support for the Wireless Village initiative](https://followap.com/press/followap-announces-support-for-the-wireless-village-initiative/): 14 February 2002. Followap commits to the Wireless Village specification — the industry effort that became OMA IMPS — and to contributing to the standardisation work itself.
- [Followap and Samsung Electronics announce a strategic alliance to integrate Followap's IM, Chat and Presence client into Samsung devices](https://followap.com/press/followap-and-samsung-electronics-announce-a-strategic-alliance-to-inte/): 19 February 2002. Samsung agrees to embed the iFollow client directly into its handsets. “For the first time, we will be able to provide operators with mobile devices that will enable their customers to truly benefit from advanced messaging services,” said Dale Sohn of Samsung.
- [Followap and Cellcom sign agreement to integrate IM and Presence into Cellcom's network](https://followap.com/press/followap-and-cellcom-sign-agreement-to-integrate-im-and-presence-into/): 24 April 2002. Cellcom becomes an early operator customer, integrating Followap's instant messaging and presence platforms directly into its network.
- [Followap releases the iFollow iMMS Software Development Kit](https://followap.com/press/followap-releases-the-ifollow-imms-software-development-kit/): 16 May 2002. APIs and customisable reference clients so device manufacturers can build and brand mobile messaging clients themselves — a messaging SDK shipped in 2002, six years before the App Store.
- [Followap commercially launches Mobile Instant Messaging for Omnitel Vodafone](https://followap.com/press/omnitel-vodafone-commercial-launch/): 21 May 2002. iFollow goes live in Omnitel's network, giving more than 18 million Italian subscribers a branded mobile messenger that reaches phones, PCs and PDAs alike.
- [Followap's mobile messaging products pass Wireless Village interoperability testing](https://followap.com/press/followap-s-mobile-messaging-products-pass-wireless-village-interoperab/): 17 July 2002. Tested for Wireless Village compliance over both SMS and HTTP bearers at the first interoperability event, held in Stockholm in June 2002.
- [Followap introduces iFollow Push-to-Talk](https://followap.com/press/followap-introduces-ifollow-push-to-talk/): 20 February 2003. Announced at Cannes: instant voice messaging and multi-party voice sessions at the press of a button, built on the presence layer.
- [iFollow v2.2 certified for Wireless Village — OMA IMPS](https://followap.com/press/ifollow-2-2-oma-imps-certified/): 2 April 2003. iFollow v2.2 passes OMA IMPS interoperability certification for Presence, Instant Messaging and Groups, giving Followap the largest Wireless Village footprint in the industry.
- [Jabber and Followap collaborate on messaging interoperability](https://followap.com/press/jabber-interoperability/): 18 December 2003. Server-to-server interoperability tests between Jabber's XCP and Followap's iFollow platform clear the way for rival French operators to launch messaging services that can actually talk to each other.
- [Followap releases iFollow 3.0 with a complete Presence Development Environment](https://followap.com/press/followap-releases-ifollow-3-0-with-a-complete-presence-development-env/): 15 January 2004. The third generation of the platform: IMPS device support and a development environment letting operators and third parties presence-enable their own services.
- [Followap adds 'Instant Voice' to its iFollow Presence Server](https://followap.com/press/instant-voice-nms-communications/): 10 February 2004. Integrating NMS Communications' Open Access platform lets subscribers see who is available and turn a chat into a multiparty voice conference — or schedule one that dials itself when everyone is free.
- [Followap and Pixel Game Technologies introduce presence-aware multiplayer gaming](https://followap.com/press/followap-and-pixel-game-technologies-introduce-presence-aware-multipla/): 23 February 2004. Multiplayer mobile games that can see which of your contacts is actually free to play, built on the iFollow IM and Presence server.
- [Followap and Motorola complete interoperability testing on IMS and Push-to-Talk](https://followap.com/press/motorola-ims-push-to-talk/): 25 February 2004. The iFollow Presence Server is tested against Motorola's IMS platform and Push-to-Talk over Cellular service, making presence an inherent component of the operator's network rather than a bolt-on.
- [Industry leaders back server interoperability for instant messaging and presence](https://followap.com/press/industry-leaders-back-server-interoperability-for-instant-messaging-an/): 3 March 2004. A joint endorsement of the Open Mobile Alliance Server-Server Protocol in IMPS 1.1 and 1.2, to let different operators' messaging servers talk to each other.
- [Followap demonstrates a Presence Extension for Qualcomm's BREW at CTIA Wireless](https://followap.com/press/qualcomm-brew-presence-extension/): 22 March 2004. A BREW-based Presence Extension lets third-party developers build presence-aware applications — multiplayer gaming, dynamic address books, push-to-talk — on top of the operator's network.
- [Followap names Gary Schulman President of the Americas](https://followap.com/press/followap-names-gary-schulman-president-of-the-americas/): 23 March 2004. A former Verizon Wireless executive takes charge of Followap's operations in the Americas.
- [iFollow Presence Server completes OMA interoperability testing for IMPS CSP and SSP 1.2](https://followap.com/press/ifollow-presence-server-completes-oma-interoperability-testing-for-imp/): 7 April 2004. Certification against both the Client-Server and Server-Server protocols. SSP is the piece that lets one operator's presence and IM system connect to another's — the technical groundwork for the interconnect deals of 2006.
- [Followap integrates its Presence solution with HP technologies](https://followap.com/press/followap-integrates-its-presence-solution-with-hp-technologies/): 17 June 2004. The iFollow Presence Server becomes a key element of HP's Service Delivery Platform, running on HP Integrity servers under HP-UX or Linux, with HP Services handling integration. Reissued with minor edits on 30 June 2004.
- [Followap opens a Hong Kong office](https://followap.com/press/followap-opens-a-hong-kong-office/): 15 July 2004. An Asian base to serve growing demand for mobile messaging and presence across the region.
- [Frost & Sullivan confers its 2004 Business Development Strategy Leadership Award on Followap](https://followap.com/press/frost-sullivan-confers-its-2004-business-development-strategy-leadersh/): 17 November 2004. The award citation is the fullest contemporary account of the product line — OMA IMPS, BREW, Symbian, J2ME, Smartphone and SIP/SIMPLE clients, an enterprise gateway bridging Microsoft LCS and IBM SameTime, and customers including Vodafone, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Cellcom.
- [Persona introduces presence-enhanced mobile information services in Turkey](https://followap.com/press/persona-introduces-presence-enhanced-mobile-information-services-in-tu/): 28 February 2005. A Turkish service developer launches a Mail InfoService on the iFollow Presence Solution, pushing enterprise email content to mobile subscribers based on availability.
- [IXI Mobile and Followap partner for presence-aware, interoperable messaging](https://followap.com/press/ixi-mobile-and-followap-partner-for-presence-aware-interoperable-messa/): 15 March 2005. IXI's messaging devices gain connectivity to MSN, Yahoo!, AOL and ICQ as well as operator-run communities, over GPRS, CDMA and UMTS.
- [Red Herring selects Followap for the 2005 Red Herring 100 Europe](https://followap.com/press/red-herring-selects-followap-for-the-2005-red-herring-100-europe/): 12 April 2005. Followap is named among the 100 private European and Israeli companies Red Herring judged to be driving the future of technology.
- [Turkcell selects Followap's Presence and IM solution](https://followap.com/press/turkcell-messenger/): 19 April 2005. Turkcell — then among Europe's five largest GSM operators, with over 24 million subscribers — launches TurkcellMessenger on the iFollow Presence Solution.
- [Sequoia Capital leads Followap's Series C financing](https://followap.com/press/sequoia-capital-series-c/): 2 June 2005. Followap closes a Series C round led by Sequoia Capital and releases an iFollow Presence Platform built to run over IMS core networks. Carmel Ventures, Star Ventures, ICTech and Koor CVC also participate.
- [Followap research: instant messaging is useful and convenient — and blocked by IT departments](https://followap.com/press/followap-research-instant-messaging-is-useful-and-convenient-and-block/): 3 November 2005. Independent UK research commissioned by Followap finds 60% of workers use instant messaging, while compliance fears lead IT departments to block it.
- [Success story: Turkcell launches its own mobile IM and presence service](https://followap.com/press/success-story-turkcell-launches-its-own-mobile-im-and-presence-service/): 7 November 2005. A long-form account of the first publicly announced Next Generation Messaging deployment — how Turkcell, with 25.6 million subscribers, specified, built and launched its own branded messenger.
- [Followap to enable Ogo mobile messaging service launched by Swisscom Mobile](https://followap.com/press/swisscom-ogo-msn-messenger/): 30 November 2005. Followap's Mobile Messaging Gateway sits behind IXI Mobile's Ogo, the QWERTY messaging device that gave Swisscom Mobile's 4 million customers MSN Messenger and Hotmail on the move.
- [Followap powers True's Thailand mobile Messenger service](https://followap.com/press/followap-powers-true-s-thailand-mobile-messenger-service/): 14 December 2005. True Corporation, Thailand's only fully integrated communications provider, launches a branded mobile messenger on Followap's platform.
- [Bouygues Telecom introduces Bouygues Messenger, a presence-based service](https://followap.com/press/bouygues-telecom-messenger/): 31 January 2006. Bouygues Telecom's subscribers get a dynamic contact list that shows who is ready to talk — the iFollow Presence platform's first French commercial deployment.
- [Orange and Vodafone to link mobile instant messaging communities](https://followap.com/press/orange-vodafone-interconnect/): 13 February 2006. At 3GSM Barcelona, Orange and Vodafone announce the first multi-national agreement to interconnect mobile IM communities under the GSMA's open-standard principles — the 'calling party pays' model applied to instant messaging.
- [Followap powers Vodafone's Interconnect Instant Messaging Gateway](https://followap.com/press/vodafone-interconnect-gateway/): 13 February 2006. The technology behind the announcement: Followap's Interconnect Platform brings email-style federation to consumer mobile messaging, identifying every Vodafone Messenger customer by their phone number.
- [Followap completes interoperability testing at OMA TestFest](https://followap.com/press/oma-testfest-montreal-2006/): 15 March 2006. At the OMA's 12th TestFest in Montreal, the iFollow Presence Platform passes interoperability testing against the OMA Presence 1.0 and XDM 1.0 enablers over leading IMS platforms — with Followap deployed in 17 operator networks.
- [Followap appoints Simon Brown Vice President of Global Sales and Customer Operations](https://followap.com/press/simon-brown-vp-global-sales/): 20 March 2006. Simon Brown, formerly Vice President Sales and Marketing EMEA at Nokia, joins to lead Followap's sales and customer operations, reporting to CEO Dotan Volach.
- [Followap to power 3's instant messaging service](https://followap.com/press/3-uk-msn-messenger/): 9 May 2006. 3 picks Followap's Mobile Messaging Gateway and 3G clients to bring MSN Messenger to its 3.5 million UK customers.
- [Followap selected for 3 Scandinavia's Instant Messaging service](https://followap.com/press/3-scandinavia-messaging/): 4 July 2006. Followap's iFollow Mobile Messaging Gateway and 3G clients bring MSN Messenger to 3's Scandinavian network, letting subscribers see and message their PC contacts from a handset.
- [Followap wins the Frost & Sullivan 2006 award](https://followap.com/press/frost-sullivan-2006-award/): 12 July 2006. A second Frost & Sullivan Business Development Strategy Leadership award ranks Followap first in mobile IM and presence technology, as its operator base reaches 20 networks and more than 200 million users.
- [Followap completes OMA IMPS 1.3 interoperability testing](https://followap.com/press/oma-imps-1-3-testing/): 8 August 2006. At the OMA Test Fest in Belfast, Followap's IM Service Centre proves interoperable with the leading handset makers' IMPS 1.3 clients — the groundwork for operator-branded IM, by then powering 25 operator services and over 200 million users.
- [LG introduces Followap's IM client to its mobile phones](https://followap.com/press/lg-u300-im-key/): 1 September 2006. The LG U300 ships with a dedicated instant messaging key — one press opens the user's messenger community. Followap was the first third-party IM application integrated into a manufacturer's handset.
- [Nortel and Followap enhance IMS services for real-time communications across wireless and wireline networks](https://followap.com/press/nortel-ims-presence/): 7 September 2006. Nortel picks Followap's iFollow Presence Platform, with its presence and XDMS/GLMS group-list servers, to bring presence to its IP Multimedia Subsystem portfolio across wireless, wireline and cable networks.
- [Followap completes OMA interoperability testing for the iFollow Presence Platform](https://followap.com/press/oma-test-fest-psp-5/): 27 September 2006. At the OMA Test Fest in Düsseldorf, iFollow PSP 5.0 passes interoperability testing for both the Presence and XDM enablers against leading clients and IMS vendors.
- [Followap's Interconnect Hub creates the world's largest operator-owned IM community](https://followap.com/press/interconnect-hub-largest-im-community/): 16 October 2006. Linking the Vodafone Group operators, France's national networks and ISP communities, the iFollow Interconnect Hub backs the GSMA's Personal IM drive, and Followap's IMSC now powers more than 15 operator-owned communities.
- [Mobinil selects Followap for Mobile Instant Messaging](https://followap.com/press/mobinil-egypt/): 17 October 2006. Mobinil launches an operator-branded IM service on Followap's IMSC, turning the handset address book into a live view of who is available, busy, driving or in a meeting.
- [Wind selects Followap for mobile instant messaging](https://followap.com/press/wind-italy/): 17 October 2006. Wind launches its own-branded IM service on Followap's IMSC and clients, built around a dynamic address book that shows which contacts are free to chat.
- [NeuStar acquires Followap for approximately $139 million](https://followap.com/press/neustar-acquires-followap/): 27 November 2006. NeuStar (NYSE: NSR) buys Followap in cash, citing a customer base of 17 mobile network operators covering over 160 million subscribers. Followap becomes the core of NeuStar's Next Generation Messaging group.
- [NeuStar selected by 3 Italia for mobile instant messaging](https://followap.com/press/3-italia-mobile-im/): 14 February 2007. Announced at 3GSM, three months after the acquisition: 3 Italia takes the IMSC and the Mobile Messaging Gateway to give its subscribers both its own IM community and Windows Live Messenger.
- [VimpelCom and NeuStar bring mobile IM to Russia](https://followap.com/press/vimpelcom-beeline-russia/): 10 May 2007. Under VimpelCom's Beeline brand, the former Followap IMSC and clients deliver presence-enabled messaging to 48 million Russian subscribers, supporting the GSMA's Personal IM initiative.

## Optional

- [Full text of every press release](https://followap.com/llms-full.txt)