SNS brand 139.com, under China Mobile, goes online

On May 20, 2009, China Mobile's service-oriented social network (SSN), 139.com, was first launched in Guangdong. Unlike other SSN sites such as Kaixin001, Xiaonei, and 51.com where users register with an email address, the distinctive feature of 139.com is that it uses mobile phone numbers for real identity registration. It also integrates a range of mobile-characteristic Internet products, including bundling with the 139 email account, text and multimedia message sending, online storage, and mobile betting services. There isn't much more to say about the website itself, but its logo is quite quirky.

By the way, another instant messaging product under China Mobile, Fetion, has also followed QQ's example by introducing VIP membership and premium number services. However, unlike QQ, Fetion's basic services are free.