SAN FRANCISCO -- Critical Path, Inc. (Nasdaq: CPTH), a global leader in Internet communications, today announced its Instant Messaging (IM) solution for wireless carriers and service providers. The solution can be integrated with existing SMS and WAP deployments, allowing carriers to leverage their network infrastructure to extend messaging services without additional infrastructure investment.With this announcement, Critical Path also offers the first carrier-class, secure IM product built to support industry standards such as SIP/SIMPLE, Wireless Village and SSL/TLS. The Critical Path IM solution bridges the gap between wireless and wireline IM users, enabling subscribers to communicate seamlessly regardless of IM client or device type. Critical Path’s solution benefits wireless carriers and service providers by helping to reduce subscriber turnover and drive revenue through increased wireless traffic generated from phones, mobile messaging devices and PCs. Users who are familiar with SMS text messaging or desktop instant messaging will find the transition to Critical Path’s IM solution seamless. In addition, the Critical Path IM solution lays the foundation for innovative, intelligent messaging solutions by enabling the integration of presence information across Critical Path and third-party applications. Intelligent messaging will benefit subscribers by giving them more control over how and when they receive messages, and will help carriers drive more traffic by way of “presence” notifications sent across their networks.“By creating an IM and presence solution that interoperates with other standards-based messaging systems and consumer products, Critical Path is creating a compelling solution for global service providers,” said Philip Marshall, an analyst with the Yankee Group. “Given the current economic conditions facing service providers around the world, solutions such as Critical Path’s that leverage existing infrastructure and enable the addition of revenue generating services at a lower cost will be of significant value in the deployment of next-generation technologies.”Critical Path Inc.