Yahoo is considering giving users of Yahoo Messenger free access to tens of thousands of Wi-Fi hot spots worldwide so they can engage in instant messaging, including voice communications, while unplugged from their regular home or office Internet connection. Yahoo recently polled users about this possible new service, which the Sunnyvale, Calif., company calls Yahoo Messenger On-the-Road, but it has no “imminent plans” to provide this service, a Yahoo spokeswoman said Wednesday via e-mail.A screen shot of a survey page was posted on Tuesday by the TechCrunch technology news blog, which covers companies and products in the Web 2.0 space.The Wi-Fi access would also have a fee-based option for users who want to do more than instant messaging, such as browsing the Web, for US$7.95 per month or $2.95 for a two-hour connection, according to that survey page. That Yahoo is mulling providing such a service isn’t surprising, since Web portals are beginning to see Wi-Fi availability as an important promoter of Internet usage and thus of their services.For example, this is a key reason for Google’s entry into the Wi-Fi provision market. Larry Page, Google’s cofounder and president of products, said late last year about the company’s Wi-Fi initiatives: “We’re excited about expanding Internet access in general. We think that’s really good for our business. As people have better access to the Internet, they do more searches and they use our services more.” -Juan Carlos Perez, IDG News ServiceFor related CIO content, check out Wi-Fight.For related news coverage, read MetroFi to Blanket Portland, Ore., With Wi-Fi and Group: Yahoo Helped Jail Third Chinese Journalist.Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content brandpost Sponsored by SAP What goes well with Viña Concha y Toro wines? Meat, fish, poultry, and SAP Viña Concha y Toro, a wine producer that distributes to more than 140 countries worldwide, paired its operation with the SAP Business Technology Platform to enhance its operation and product. By Tom Caldecott, SAP Contributor Dec 04, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by Azul How to maximize ROI by choosing the right Java partner for your organization Choosing the right Java provider is a critical decision that can have a significant impact on your organization’s success. By asking the right questions and considering the total cost of ownership, you can ensure that you choose the best Java p By Scott Sellers Dec 04, 2023 5 mins Application Management brandpost Sponsored by DataStax Ask yourself: How can genAI put your content to work? Generative AI applications can readily be built against the documents, emails, meeting transcripts, and other content that knowledge workers produce as a matter of course. By Bryan Kirschner Dec 04, 2023 5 mins Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence feature The CIO’s new role: Orchestrator-in-chief CIOs have unique insight into everything that happens in a company. Some are using that insight to take on a more strategic role. By Minda Zetlin Dec 04, 2023 12 mins CIO C-Suite Business IT Alignment Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe