Following China Mobile, which launched an instant communications service last year, China Netcom, another telecom operator in China, has now launched its own instant communications service called Ling Xin.

Ling Xin is a comprehensive instant communications service that is available to all of China Netcom's users. With this service, users can enjoy the instant communications service any time they like through multiple means including Little Smart short message, broadband PCs and the upcoming 3G client terminal. All this can be done between mobile phones, or between a mobile phones and PCs.

Just like China Mobile's Fetion service, China Netcom's Ling Xin also showcases interoperability among different means of communications.

China Netcom has launched Ling Xin as a value-added service to Little Smart. Some analysts quoted in local media say that China Netcom has entered the instant communications market at this very time to experiment on possible 3G services and accumulate experience for the upcoming roll-out 3G in China.

Chinese market research company iResearch data shows that income from China's instant communication market reached CNY670 million in 2006 and it will increase by more than 20% in the coming years and reach CNY1.44 billion by 2010.