Instant messaging: Grid users can now use standard cellphones to communicate in real-time by connecting to a range of IM clients, including Google Talk, MSN, Yahoo Messenger, Jabber and QQ, from one application.
The most popular IM service globally is MSN Messenger, with Africa having the second highest percentage of MSN Messenger usage in the world compared with other continents.
Satellite imagery and mapping: Real-life satellite images of direct surroundings and the rest of South Africa can now be viewed from a cellphone using the Grid.
This feature, in addition to the street map view on the Grid that displays a user's direct vicinity and includes the locations of friends and POIs, enables users to view known landmarks without the need
for a smartphone.
Street maps on the Grid have also been optimised, and now uses less data when maps are requested and loaded to the customer's cellphone.
Shameel Joosub, managing director of Vodacom South Africa, commented: "People tend to assume that only high-end cellphones and smartphones have the capability to view satellite images or make use of every day services such as Google Talk or Yahoo Messenger. The Grid changes this by offering a singleapplication that is compatible with most cellphones, offering access to technologically advanced services."
