The Inter@ctive Pager, introduced in 1996 by Research In Motion (RIM), allowed users to receive and send messages over the internet via a wireless data network known as Mobitex. The US Operator of Mobitex, RAM Mobile Data operated the network and introduced the Inter@ctive Pager service as RAMfirst Interactive PagingSM. The product was named the 1997 Top Product by Wireless for the Corporate User Magazine.[1] The Inter@ctive Pager was also known as the RIM-900.
In August 1998, BellSouth Wireless Data replaced the RIM-900 with the RIM 950 and marketed the service as BellSouth Interactive Paging(sm).
The Interactive Paging service introduced wireless users to such features as peer-to-peer Delivery and Read Receipts and sending faxes and text to speech messages to a telephone. It also incorporated all the features of a traditional one way paging system (interactive voice response, Telocator Alphanumeric Protocol, etc.) and added two way extensions to those services. The devices communicated to the internet, peer users, and the PSTN via a Gateway which also served as the store and forward mailbox for the wireless user. Interactive Paging became known as Interactive Messaging Plus(sm) when BellSouth and SBC formed Cingular Wireless.
RIM also produced a proprietary file format called IPD, or Inter@ctive Pager Database.
References
- ^ Research In Motion Increases Contract With RAM Mobile Data To $90 Million Research In Motion, January 7, 1998, archived from the original on 28 September 2007