MOBILE ZONE NEWS
Twickenham Stadium April 1st & 2nd, 2009
www.comms-dealer.com/mobile-zone
Phonebox advances
MOBILE MARKET ANALYSIS
with Wire acquisition
MOBILE communications firm smaller dealerships to think about
Phonebox Communications has aligning themselves with a ‘greater
acquired North West-based Wire market force’.
Communications. Phonebox Communications’
The acquisition, for an undis- Managing Director, Nigel Harri-
closed sum, will see Wire’s office and son, commented: “The acquisition
staff joining the Phonebox brand is indicative of our position in the
and operate alongside Phonebox’s market at the current time.
COMPLEX SETUP ISSUES HIT
five existing offices. Wire’s founder “We are bullish about the com-
MARKET FOR MOBILE DATA
Claire Daniels becomes a Phonebox ing years because events in the
business manager. global economy present new busi- Mass uptake of mobile data services is hindered
The deal forms part of Phone- ness opportunities, and mean that by the complexities of getting started according to
box’s plans for rapid expansion over top calibre sales people are available research that states two thirds of mobile users find
the next three to five years, during
Nigel Harrison
to join us. phone setup as frustrating as changing bank accounts.
which time the company intends to Phonebox said this process has “Acquiring Wire Communica- The survey of US and UK consumers commissioned by
increase its sales force and complete been accelerated by the current tions gives us the springboard for mobile device management specialist Mformation
a number of acquisitions. economic climate, which has forced similar moves in the near future.” also found that 95 per cent of mobile users would
use more data services if setting up was easier.
XE2 lands BlackBerry
Avenir curtails Complex setup issues are also preventing 45 per cent
of people from upgrading to new, more sophisticated
reseller Jem Telecom
its partnership
mobile phones, says the report. Matthew Bancroft,
XE2, a provider of hosted Microsoft resellers need to extend their ser-
with T-Mobile
Vice President of Mformation, commented: “With
the current economic climate operators and device
Exchange services, has acquired vices to include full mobile email, BUSINESS-to-business telecoms manufacturers need to remove barriers to service
BlackBerry reseller Jem Telecom including a complete hosted solu- distributor Avenir Telecom is to uptake. The message from consumers is that phone
ahead of the planned rollout of its tion for exchange, archiving and cease its relationship with T-Mobile setup is simply too complex. Clearly, this needs
Easy Mobility solution. other products like CRM. These as of 31 March 2009. Its relation- to be addressed. ‘Up and running straight out-of-
Jem Telecom has deployed services will help them to sustain ship with all other operators is the-box’ means exactly that, and our research
BlackBerry solutions for over five growth in competitive markets.” unchanged, said the firm. shows that improving this aspect of the mobile
years to firms such as Experian, XE2 claims that by adding Andrew Tow, Avenir Telecom’s phone purchasing experience will help to improve
Pizza Hut, the Institute of Directors BlackBerry and third-party appli- recently appointed Managing Dir- the fortunes of many players in our industry.”
and the London Assembly. cations to a hosted platform, and ector, said: “This year will see our
Jason Theakston, Commercial by being able to white label the partnerships with all key operators A significant 65 per cent of respondents agreed that
Director of XE2 and Jem, said: package, it provides resellers with deepening significantly.” mobile operators are losing out, and when it comes
“Our research shows that indepen- an opportunity to increase ARPU Tow joined Avenir Telecom to the use of advanced revenue-generating mobile
dent fixed line and mobile telecoms and customer retention. early last December having set up applications and services the picture is bleaker.
the new Mobile Managed Services Bancroft added: “Basic services such as email, Internet
Mobile users bene
division of Data Select. browsing, instant messaging and picture messaging
Prior to that he was CEO of are among the top applications and services that fi t
Unique Distribution. people find don’t always work when they first switch
from Skype software
on their phone. As a result, 61 per cent have stopped
Vodafone in
using mobile applications because they cannot solve
SKYPE has released a lite version of problems with them. Subscribers are clearly convinced
its ‘thin’ client for Skype that can be
£5m accord
of the value of mobile services, however, 85 per cent
downloaded on Android-powered of the people we surveyed find it frustrating to have
devices, as well as more than 100 NATIONAL Grid has awarded to go through a number of steps when they want to
other Java-enabled mobile phones. Vodafone UK a three year contract activate a service or application. It’s a bit like getting
The updated beta now makes worth over £5m as its sole mobile a new gadget, then finding that the batteries aren’t
Skype software available to millions voice and mobile data network included. Providing mobile subscribers with a more
of mobile users worldwide, includ- provider in the UK. seamless experience will remove these pains.”
ing those in the US. National Grid owns the high
Skype users can save money voltage electricity system in The survey highlighted one straightforward example of
on calls to landlines and mobiles England and Wales and operates how the setup of a new phone can be dramatically
abroad, and stay connected with
Scott Durchslag
the system across Great Britain. It improved. With over three quarters of consumers
friends and family over Skype. the option to use Skype on their also owns and operates the high saying they are worried about losing mobile data
Scott Durchslag, COO of mobile phones. We are committed pressure gas transmission system, when changing handsets, 96 per cent see value in a
Skype, commented: “Nearly half to working towards our goal of get- and four gas distribution networks, service that automatically copies numbers, content
the world’s population are mobile ting Skype into the pockets of the delivering gas to 11 million homes and other data from an old phone to a new one.
�
phone users and many people want mobile masses.” and businesses in England.
Wholesale solutions designed for you
call: 0800 019 8900
email: wholesale@chesstelecom.com
20 COMMS DEALER FEBRUARY 2009 www.comms-dealer.com/mobile-zone
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