Kik Launches Unlimited Free Texting App for iPhone and BlackBerry

WATERLOO, ON, April 12 /CNW/ - Kik today unveiled a universal and unlimited free texting app for BlackBerry and iPhone users across North America.

"I'm confident we've produced the best unlimited free texting service anywhere," said Ted Livingston, President and CEO, Kik. "Now users of both platforms can easily and reliably text each other for free."

Here is what sets Kik Chat apart from the pack:

    
    -  INSTANT: Just start texting any mobile phone number in a phone's
       address book and Kik automatically gets it through. There is no need
       to request or follow friends, or to figure out who is and isn't on
       Kik.

    -  UNLIMITED FREE KIK-TO-KIK: Kik users get unlimited, free texting to
       all Kik users.

    -  TWO WAY KIK-TO-NON-KIK: Stay connected to non-Kik users with 50 free
       outgoing SMS messages a month (unlimited free incoming). Additional
       outgoing messages are less than a cent, or users can save the $0.009
       by getting their friends to download Kik.

    -  REAL NUMBERS = REAL RELIABILITY: Thanks to special
       arrangements with US and Canadian carriers, Kik-to-Non-Kik messages
       are sent through real mobile phone numbers. That guarantees fast
       delivery of every Kik-to-Non-Kik text. Most other services still rely
       on email to SMS gateways, which means texts can take up to 8 hours to
       deliver.

    -  BLACKBERRY AND IPHONE PEACEMAKER: Kik took the time to develop an
       awesome app for both BlackBerry and iPhone. Now users can easily and
       reliably text all of their iPhone and BlackBerry friends for free.

    -  NO LONG DISTANCE SMS CHARGES: Friends who haven't yet joined Kik can
       reply without paying long distance SMS charges. How so? Kik
       automatically assigns users a local texting phone number in each
       country it supports (currently US and Canada).

    -  FUNCTIONAL STATUS: Have time to read a message, but not respond? Don't
       worry, that secret is safe with Kik. BlackBerry Messenger users know
       why users will love this feature.
    

Kik works with all iPhones, including the 3G and 3GS, and the BlackBerry Bold 1, Bold 2, Tour, 8300, 8500, 8800 and 8900, with more to come, including Android devices. All users need is a mobile data plan in the United States or Canada.

BlackBerry and iPhone users can get texting right now by going to www.kik.com/m on their mobile device.

About the Company

Kik (www.kik.com) is all about sharing and connecting. Chat is the foundation for the unfolding Kik community, which will also soon include music, pictures and video. Originally called Unsynced, Kik was founded in January 2009 by a team of students at the University of Waterloo. The company's founders are veterans of mobile and software technologies, and mobile computing software strategy. Kik is based in Waterloo, Ont.

For further information: For further information: Don Hogarth, [email protected], [phone]