Instant messaging: an oldie
but a goodie

Instant messaging, typified by its conversational frankness, is about to debut on MySpace in China, reports WebProNews.

China, which is making significant gains in online marketing, is currently home to the second-largest Internet userbase in the world — approximately 137 million users.

“The roll-out depends on user feedback and whether the performance is able to satisfy users’ demands,” CEO Luo Chuan of MySpace China said. "We hope to roll it out quickly."

While the Chinese government is known for making life difficult for foreign investors seeking an in, MySpace China is locally owned and operated, suggesting the IM service may not experience the roadblocks that Yahoo and Google have come across.

WebProNews, via Reuters, reported that Tencent Holdings, an online portal that operates 'QQ' messaging, already controls 79 percent of the Chinese messaging market.

MSN Messenger is also the instant messenger of choice for over 20 million China-based users, including teenagers and young professionals.