[By NBC-1TV H. J Yook]Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today unveiled ChatON 2.0, the next version of the popular global communication service that connects all phone users into a single community.

Now available in over 200 countries in more than 60 languages, ChatON provides easy instant messaging and group chatting in multiple formats—images, video, voice, contacts—to make communication simple, intuitive and fun. The upgraded service works on multiple connected devices—phones, tablets, connected cameras, and any web browser.

“ChatON has vastly simplified mobile messaging for millions of users around the world, enabling them to enjoy easier and richer interactivity with whoever they want, in whatever format they want. ChatON 2.0 now takes this one step further, enabling users to access the service from multiple devices for a true multiscreen user experience,” said Dr. Won-pyo Hong, President and Head of Media Solution Center at Samsung Electronics.

ChatON 2.0 keeps the user up-to-date with friends. Its multiscreen feature enables a user to chat with up to five connected devices using a single account, ensuring no message is ever missed. It is even possible to use ChatON from a PC web browser by logging onto chaton.com with the same Samsung Account ID. Users can now also invite friends to ChatON conversations from a wider variety of platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and Weibo.

ChatON 2.0 makes sharing content simple and intuitive for both one-to-one and group conversations, where users can leave comments or other content in the Trunk —a virtual place to store, and comment on, photos and videos with friends before sharing them more widely on Facebook or other social networks.

An innovative feature, ChatON Special Buddy, provides great offers, updates and news feeds from third-party vendors in real-time, and allows users to vote in polls or leave comments.

Like a micro social network, ChatON 2.0 allows users to create their own personal profiles and post status updates for friends to see and comment on. The comments can be posted to profile pages whether the user is on or offline, and ChatON’s Interaction Rank gives users useful information and statistics about their conversations with friends.