It's very right. All messaging platforms should be open or interoperable.

Imagine if from Hotmail you could only email others on Hotmail. Or the same with Gmail. Or not being able to SMS anyone on at&t from any other telco. There's no good reason to limit it like that.

Also consider that they were charging for the service. The only part of the deal I wasn't keen on. 1 because again, messaging should be open and interoperable. 2 they were basically charging a recurring fee for access to Apple's service, not specifically theirs in this instance. Which seems bad on Beeper, until you realize that Apple is basically refusing to make money from their service. And they're not doing it out of principle, ideology, or good will. They're doing it because they don't want to compete. Not with regards to iMessage, or anything else.