BEIJING, Aug. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Yahoo will introduce new features for its popular web-based e-mail program, taking six weeks to become available to all 254 million Yahoo mail subscribers in 21 languages worldwide, media reports said Monday.

The new version allows users to click on a contact and then select whether to send that person an e-mail, instant message or text message. "You could send an e-mail or instant message if you know the recipient is at the computer ─ or a text message if the recipient is on the road with a cell phone," the reports added.

The most obvious beneficiaries will be parents, who will be able to use their keyboards to type messages sent to their children's cell phones ─ no thumb-twisting typing on a dial pad, said Yahoo Vice President John Kremer.

"We're giving you the right way to connect at the right time with right person," said Kremer, whose two preteen sons vastly prefer text and instant messages to e-mail.

"This gives people the ability to reach anybody in their contact database anytime," said Mike McGuire, vice president of research at industry analysis firm Gartner Inc. "For good or evil, it's going to be much easier for anybody to get a hold of you."

The changes come amid fierce competition among providers of free, web-based e-mail services. Yahoo and Microsoft Corp.'s Hotmail have long dominated the niche, but Google Inc.'s Gmail has grown quickly since its introduction in April 2004.

(Agencies)