10 NEWS


Exertis Micro-P resigns O2 as an airtime partner


By Samantha Tomaszczyk


Exertis Micro-P has added O2 to its list of airtime partners as it looks to boost the number of IT resellers on its Conect platform.


The agreement, which came


into effect on April 1, comes two years after the pair “mutually” ended an original airtime deal. The


reinstatement now


means Exertis Micro-P’s Conect resellers will be able to offer airtime from all of the UK’s major operators.


Conect is a partner programme launched last year which aims to encourage mobile resellers to enter the unified communications space – and vica versa. Exertis


Micro-P also


announced it is now able to provide Microsoft Office 365


on Conect. Head of sales for Conect Fridolin Engel said the distributor will focus on selling Office 365 over the next quarter.


with O2 connectivity Engel: Exertis Micro-P processes about 1,000 connections a month


It will use Office 365 to attract IT resellers to Conect. According to Engel, Exertis Micro-P processes around 1,000 connections per month but they are mainly through its traditional airtime resellers.


Full portfolio “With O2, we want to penetrate the


IT reseller base, as the


majority of our connections are currently


coming


from traditional airtime partnerships,” Engel said.


“Having O2 on Conect completes the full portfolio of major networks available to Conect partners.” Exertis Micro-P held several Conect “bootcamps” in March to encourage resellers to join the platform. As a result, reseller numbers


have grown from 95 at the start of March to 210. “We are getting 30 to 40 leads


a day in terms of dealers who want to join Conect,” Engel said.


EE makes its move to capture the £7bn emergency services contract


EE has become the latest company


to express an


interest in bidding for the lucrative £7 billion emergency service contract, Mobile News understands. The tender, which is to


provide a dedicated voice and data network to the emergency services, was due to be announced by the Home Office as Mobile News went to press, with the bidding set to begin later this year. The current 10-year deal, managed by Airwave, is due to expire in 2016. The company was previously a subsidiary of Telefonica before it was sold to Macquarie Group for £1.9 billion in 2007. The emergency


services


are understood to be seeking alternatives options to Airwave, which uses closed network


Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) technology – similar to that of a walkie-talkie due to its limited data capabilities. Some 300,000 people in the UK use the network, which has 99 per cent land coverage.


Shoulder cameras Last month, O2 UK chief executive Ronan Dunne told Mobile News the operator was in talks with


the UK


government over the multi- billion pound contract and claimed the introduction of data and new services would help revolutionise the way in which the emergency services operates. Suggested new data services could include officers being provided with shoulder cameras that feed back live footage to a police computer,


which would use intelligence to identify missing persons or suspects. They would also be able to receive instant results when checking names and car registrations rather than vocally feeding back to the office. EE


was unavailable for comment.


Government wants clampdown on children making in-app payments


The UK government has unveiled strict guidelines for mobile phone app developers. The guidelines, issued by the Office of Fair Trading, came into force on April 1 and are an attempt to prevent


children


from being able to or encouraged to make in-app payments (often games) whilst using a device in which account details are linked to an app store. According to Windows Phone, children in the UK are costing their parents in excess of £30 million per month as a result of failings. It is now illegal for apps to


allow children to make in-app purchases without all payments requiring authorisation by the payment account holder, such as a with a PIN or password,


which not all apps require. Developers are also prohibited from “exploiting” a child’s


vulnerability by using


“aggressive” sales tactics – for example, prompting them to buy access to higher levels


without making it clear enough that access can also be gained for free by playing on.


The OFT said platform operators Apple (iOS), Google (Android) and Microsoft (Windows Phone)


are


responsible for assisting gaming industry’s compliance.


now the


Clarify the law Law firm Stevens & Bolton associate Oliver Kidd said: “In-app purchases was one area which the OFT needed to clarify in the law, as it was written before these sort of applications existed.


“I can see Apple, Google and Microsoft having to employ people


to ensure gaming


companies and apps on their stores comply with the rules.”


MDee: Full support from EE


@mobilenewsmag


MobileNewsMagazine


www.mobilenewscwp.co.uk


Avenir aiming to lift UK Yezz sales


Avenir discussions


Telecom is in with operators,


high street retailers and MVNOs in a bid to boost sales of Yezz smartphones in the UK. The talks are part of a


drive Avenir is conducting to grow its number of device resellers. At present, it is the exclusive distributor of Yezz smartphones,


which are


sold through its dealers and Amazon. The distributor said it will hold a select committee every week to “approve” resellers of the US brand, which has so far released 17 smartphones and one feature phone. Yezz will launch a range of 10 tablets and five more feature phones by September, the company said. Avenir said it will provide


any successful resellers with marketing assistance and material, as well as technical support and a


warranty


service. Carrier partnerships will be managed by Avenir UK, rather than the company’s head office in France, it said. The O2 Centre of


Excellence partner plans to open a warranty centre in every country. It added that in the past four months, less than two per cent of stock has been returned due to faults in the hardware. “We are convinced that


the success of Yezz will come from the quality of our distribution network, and we will put in place marketing displays for the shops, including at the point of sale,” Avenir said. In January,


Jones as country manager, tasked with finding partners for Yezz in the UK. The news comes a few


months after Avenir’s CEO Jean-Daniel Beurnier told Mobile News that the company is exiting airtime in the UK to focus on distributing hardware.


‘Slim’ series It launched four Yezz handsets in the UK in January, with a further three arriving in March.


The “Slim”’ series is composed of the Andy A6M (€299), Andy A5 (€249/£246), Andy A4.5 (€199), and Andy A4M (€129). The Andy A5VP is LTE-enabled and Andy A5QP has


an octo-core processor.


Yezz’s current releases run on Android. Two Windows Phone Yezz


devices will be launched later this year. The Billy 4 will cost €129 and launch in May, and the Billy 4.7 will cost €249 and launch in July.


Avernir


appointed former Phones 4u managing director Chris


MDee brand aims at sales and B2B


Continued from page 1


online connection and account management portal MCD Connect – which, in addition to providing improved interaction with MDee, and greater levels of account management, will provide what Jeffrey


claims


is a “simple” and “easy-to -understand” connection process for those new to the market.


She added that training, and business planning on an


individual basis will be provided to new partners in a move designed to help breakdown the inherent barriers experienced by the fixed and IT market. “We are confident the level


of internal restructure and the significant investments we are making in our IT system will provide the tools to help us and our partners achieve their business aims. “There is a huge opportunity in helping others make the transition into mobile. We feel we have a system which allows them to do that – in a clear and intelligible way.”


EE business marketing director and MDee


board


member Mike Tomlinson added: “We see a bright future for MDee, full of genuine opportunity and true win-win growth for both Mdee and all their existing and future partners. “We fully support the team at MDee and are confident that though challenging, they will achieve their goals through the depth of their experience and strong relationships within the B2B market.”


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