Targeting smartphone features that telecom insiders say represent the future of mobile communications, a San Jose-California based group today launched an application that’s designed to make it easier for iPhone (News - Alert) and iPod Touch users to call, text, IM, mail and use social networking sites on-the-go.

 

Officials at Pinger say their so-called “Pinger (News - Alert) Phone” app – available here – creates a simple interface that integrates popular social networking tools such as Facebook, MySpace (News - Alert) and Twitter from a single menu.

 

According to Pinger’s chief executive officer, Greg Woock (News - Alert), if people under 25 designed mobile phones, they’d put IM and social network messaging alongside dialing, texting and mail.

 

“With more than 30 billion messages sent on IM and social networks every day, it’s about time someone deeply integrated them into the basic mobile phone experience,” Woock said.

 

With Pinger Phone, shown at right, users also can see IM presence in their contacts or social network feeds, and then decide whether to call, text, instant message, mail or send a Facebook, MySpace or Twitter message.

 

The free application is available now, and eventually will be available on BlackBerry, Microsoft (News - Alert) Windows Mobile, Palm and Symbian devices.

 

IT insiders say that the kinds of social networking features that Pinger is bringing represent much of what people will want in mobile communications.

 

Telecom industry veteran John Burry, Mobui Corporation’s founder and chief executive officer, recently told TMCnet during an interview that, in the future, how mobile devices will be judged will be less about the device and more about the services developers are creating for the device.

 

“The beauty of the iPhone and G1 is not the hardware as much as the ease with which developers can create new services for them,” Burry told TMCnet.

 

For Burry, the two most interesting areas for future mobile development are location-based and social networking services.

 

“The mobile device has and always will be ultimately about communication,” Burry said. “These days, communication goes way beyond voice into texting, video exchange, and instant messaging. Expect most of the innovation that happens in mobile to be around finding ways to make it easier for people to connect with one another, especially through social networks.”

 

Pinger is doing just that.

 

Features of the new app include the “Pinger Menu,” a single screen that allows users to call, text, IM, mail, or even send a Facebook, MySpace or Twitter message to contacts. With the menu, users don’t have to navigate back and forth between different applications when communicating with friends.

 

There’s also what Pinger calls “Social Network Feed Consolidation,” where Facebook, MySpace and Twitter feeds pulled together into a clutter-free format. People can then communicate with their contacts with just one simple click. ALso, with one touch, users can view their entire communications history with that person.

 

The app also brings free texting to any U.S. mobile phone.

 

“Pinger Phone users can avoid paying for texts by sending IMs to any mobile number over their iPhone’s data connection, which can be received in the form of a text,” company officials say. “Pinger Phone users do not pay to send or receive these messages.”