Wireless Federation

Blyk surpasses 800,000 subs on Aircel and Orange UK

On 03.21.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Mobile advertising company Blyk, operating on a subscription model, now has over half a million users in the UK, against 400 thousand in January, and 300 thousand users in India.

These results appear to confirm the steady progress made by the firm since it abandoned its MVNO model to focus on running programs on behalf of operators.

It launched the Orange Shots project in the UK in February 2010 (aimed at the age segment 16-34) and Blyk on Aircel India in November 2010 (age segment 16-29). It’s also launched with Vodafone Netherlands.

In all services, users are invited to subscribe to receive advertising and promotional messages from brands. It is interesting that Blyk has revealed critical differences between services in the UK and India. The company stated that subscribers Aircel applies to messages from brands as to the content. Thus, the operator uses the program more as a tool of differentiation and retain users, and not for advertising sales.

According to Aircel, after 90 days of retention levels Blyk customers using the service, reached 89%, compared to 60% on average.

Orange UK introduces contactless pre-paid MasterCard

On 02.17.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Orange UK has announced the launch of UK’s first major contactless prepaid MasterCard card- â€˜Orange Cash’.

It can be used in over 30 million locations that accept MasterCard in the UK and overseas, as well as online.

The Orange Cash prepaid card costs US$8.05 and can be loaded with up to US$8053. Orange Cash prepaid cards can be loaded with money at over 22,000 shops and petrol stations across the UK with the PayPoint logo, at 12,000 Post Offices, over 450 Orange Retail stores and online on the Orange Cash website.

Customers can also earn rewards that can be used on their Orange PAYG mobile phone. Earning one Orange prepaid reward point for every US$1.61 spent, customers can redeem their rewards online for free texts, airtime, credit on Orange Pay As You Go phones or vouchers for use in Orange shops.

The card will allow customers to pay for purchases of US$24.16 and under by simply holding their card close to a contactless reader. The pre-paid card has been developed by pre-paid services company PrePay Solutions.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: contactless prepaid MasterCard • Mobile • Orange Cash • Orange Retail stores • Orange UK • PAYG • PayPoint logo • PrePay Solutions

Vringo Launches Video Ringtone Service with Orange (UK)

On 02.04.11, In Mobile, By Editor

Vringo, Inc., a provider of video ringtones and next generation personalization solutions for mobile sevices has announced that it has commercially launched its video ringtone platform service with Orange UK.

This launch follows Vringo’s previously-announced carrier partnership with Everything Everywhere Limited, which operates the Orange brand.

According to Jon Medved, Vringo’s Chief Executive Officer, this launch is an important milestone for Vringo. The UK is one of the most robust and advanced telecommunications markets in the world, and we believe a successful commercial launch with Orange will drive our growth. This is a dynamic time for Vringo as they have reported strong subscriber numbers in our test market in Malaysia and are moving forward with launches in the U.S. and Singapore. In addition to the launch with Orange, they anticipate announcing additional distribution channels and new content to enhance and support our commercial launch in the UK.

The Vringo video ringtone service consists of a Web, WAP and mobile app experience that enables customers to create, download and share high-quality video ringtones. Orange UK customers will have access to all of the Vringo platform’s service capabilities including Vringo’s extensive content library of over 5,000 video ringtone clips.

Vringo’s fully-hosted carrier platform is currently deployed for international partners in six markets with new launches anticipated in the next quarter. Vringo’s scalable cloud-based distributed application architecture enables the carrier’s subscribers to browse and download mobile videos, set them as video ringtones and instantly share them with friends.

In addition to carrier partners, Vringo has content partnerships with major content providers including EMI, T-Pain, Tiesto, Muhammad Ali, Turner, Marvel, Discovery Mobile, RTL, Ingrooves and Agence France-Presse.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Agence France-Presse • Chief Executive Officer • Discovery Mobile • EMI • Everything Everywhere • France • Inc. • Ingrooves • Jon Medved • Malaysia • Marvel • Mobile • Muhammad Ali • next generation personalization solution • Orange UK • RTL • Singapore • T-Pain • Tiesto • Turner • U.S • Video Ringtones • Vringo • WAP • WEB

Everything Everywhere launches MVNO â€˜Now Mobile’

On 05.28.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Orange and T-Mobile’s new joint venture, Everything Everywhere has launched an assault on the wholesale market with the unveiling of an ethnic MVNO called Now Mobile. NowTel, a calling card company and Orange have signed a deal aimed at rival incumbents Lebara Mobile, which runs on Vodafones network, and Lycamobile, which also runs on Orange. The direct deal indicates the next level of the soon-to-merge company’s wholesale strategy.

According to Everything Everywhere VP of wholesale Marc Overton, the deal with Now Mobile has been done with Orange UK, but will have all the benefits of Everything Everywhere as the company offer a bigger and better network and unrivalled experience in managing successful MVNOs and will play a key role in the success of its current and prospective partners, and is really going to shake up the wholesale market.

All MVNOs that will be launched on Orange network will be able to roam across both T-Mobile and Orange – or Everything Everywhere soon and along with an access to the UK’s largest network. Now Mobile is due to launch this summer and it will be offering PAYG propositions aimed at the ethnic market, and targeting its current customer base already using its calling cards.

Now Mobile MD Andrew Hallam opined that Orange supported Now Mobile has developed a strong brand and product set. The brand has positioned itself to attract a diverse sector of ethnic international calling customers. It is believed that there is a genuine demand for clear communications, quality, and value for money and excellent customer service within the ethnic MVNO market.

Overton also feels that there is a lot of growth in the ethnic market and there is definitely room for MVNOs other than Lycamobile and Lebara while the sources have claimed that NowTel ‘has a significant share of the market.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Europe • Everything Everywhere • Launch • Lebara Mobile • Lycamobile • Mobile • MVNO • MVNOs • Now Mobile • Orange • Orange UK • T-Mobile • UK • Vodafone

Orange Scores Hat-trick with mobile games

On 03.30.10, In Mobile Marketing, By Editor

Orange UK has introduced three new mobile games including games for the iPhone.

The company is set to offer all its UK iPhone customers access to mobile games designed and produced by Orange, via the Apple App store. The application offers games like off-road racing, plus a selection of card games, including Blackjack and Poker.

Playtomo, a social gaming service will allow UK customers to play card and action games for free. it integrates with social networks so users can always share their scores with their friends and also challenge them.

Another one, Games Zone will be a £5-a-month subscription gaming service and it will offer Orange customers two free games each month, exclusive competitions and a 20% discount on additional purchases.

According to Orange’s Head of Gaming Products and Services, Neil Holroyd, this is an exciting time for Orange, with the launch of these new mobile gaming offerings forming a key part of their strategy to evolve their business through entertainment.

In his opinion innovative gaming services such as Playtomo and Games Zone give customers the best possible gaming experience and value for money on their mobile phone, while enabling them to develop their offering.

Filed under:Mobile Marketing Tagged with: Apple • Blackjack • iPhone • Mobile • Mobile Games • Mobile Gaming • Orange • Orange UK • phone • Poker • UK

Orange and HMV join hands to launch Mobile Games

On 03.20.10, In Mobile Marketing, By Editor

Orange UK has partnered with HMV to launch a mobile-gaming service. The service will be available in the next one week for customers across any network and on over 1,000 Java-enabled handsets.

To access this service the customers will have to text HMVâ€ to 87010. They will receive a link in the reply. By clicking on this link they will find reviews and previews of the latest games; free demo downloads, and games to buy.

Under this, HMV mobile games will provide its customers over 400 games with a new title every week. Names of a few games which will be available during the launch include, â€˜Fifa Manager 10′, â€˜Tetris’, â€˜Call of Duty MW2′ and â€˜PAC-MAN’. The starting price of the games will be £1.

Orange customers will be billed directly for their mobile game-play, while customers on other network will have to use the â€˜Payforit billing system, where they will be required to pay for the individual cost of each game.

According to Orange UK Business Development Director, Stephen Harris, the company is proud to be introducing this new service in strategic partnership with HMV, which will enable both the parties to deliver greater value, products and services to their customers.

Filed under:Mobile Marketing Tagged with: Handsets • HMV • Java-enabled • Mobile • Mobile Games • Orange • Orange UK • PayForIt

Orange UK signs new MVNO deals with three partners

On 03.17.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) agreements have been signed between British mobile network operator Orange UK and its three new partners- Unicom, Catalyst and Axis Telecom. The three companies have been secured on the Orange Partner Platform via Transatel, Orange’s mobile virtual network aggregator (MVNA).

The initial target of 80,000 existing customers with its new wireless services has been expected from fixed line provider Unicom. Mobile voice offerings are expected from Catalyst through partners targeting specific demographics including students, ethnic minorities and SMEs.

The deal will be used by Axis Telecom to offer mobile voice to its 14,000 residential and business customers. The three MVNOs are expected to launch commercially by the mid-2010.

According to Marc Overton, Vice President of Wholesale, Business Development & Partnerships at Orange UK, Orange has very ambitious plans to become the network partner of choice for new and existing MVNOs and with the deal, it is on its way to achieve this but the ambition is to have twenty new MVNOs on the Orange network by the end of the year which again clearly demonstrates that there are untapped opportunities for telecoms services across business and consumer sectors.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Axis • Catalyst • Europe • Mobile Virtual Network Operator • MVNO • operator • Orange • Orange UK • Transatel • UK • Unicom

Is UK heading towards merger era?

On 03.09.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: European Union has given its blessing to the most talked about deal of the season and the celebration will soon begin with the consummation of the proposed merger of Orange UK and T-Mobile UK. The telecom sector of UK is vital and highly competitive and the main players have always and loudly protested their support of the benefits of competition.

But with the finalization of the proposed merger, the big five have come down to big four. The current market leader in UK, O2 will be pushed a place down the hierarchy. Vodafone will go further down the order and will be casting around for some way to bolster its fortunes. All these mobile operators will try to cope up with the new and a powerful competition in the form of Orange UK and T-Mobile UK merger and by “competition” they all will mean merging themselves.

Though O2 will not be allowed to merge with Vodafone as the regulators in the UK and in Europe would not allow it too but the two can share their networks on a full fledged way.

The merger is paving the way towards a new trend of merger and collaboration of the entities that have control of two huge networks running the sector by themselves. The new trend will also provide access and services to a variety of MVNOs.

Until and unless a line is drawn by the regulator between the big two, the end user will be disadvantaged by the consolidation.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: Europe • European Union • merger • MVNO • MVNOs • O2 • operator • Orange • Orange UK • T-Mobile • Vodafone

EC conditionally approves Orange UK/T-Mobile UK merger

On 03.03.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The recent speculations regarding the grant of conditional approval for the merger between the UK subsidiaries of France Telecom and Deutsche Telekom has been confirmed by the European Commission (EC).

Under the conditions for the deal, Orange UK and T-Mobile UK are required to enter into a joint network sharing agreement with Hutchison 3G UK in order to â€˜ensure there remains sufficient competitors in the market’.

A quarter of combined spectrum in the 1800MHz band is also required to be sold by the new enlarged company.

However, consumer rights groups have opposed the approval citing it to be too quick and without the involvement of the UK regulator.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: 3G • Deutsche Telekom • Europe • European Commission • France • France Telecom • Hutchison • merger • Orange UK • T-Mobile • UK

Orange UK subscriber charged Â£8k on roaming for data

On 02.24.10, In Mobile, By Editor

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The capping of wholesale price of mobile data roaming rates in Europe does seem to work for the mobile users as a whopping amount of £8,000 was paid by one Orange UK subscriber for mobile data access while working abroad.

Orange charges £2.94 per MB for anyone travelling abroad and the student used internet believing he was entitled to 3GB of downloads under his existing tariff. That works out at â‚¬3.32 per MB, and is someway higher than the â‚¬1 per MB wholesale charge introduced by the EU in July.

Last year, a cap on wholesale data roaming charges was introduced by EU in order to cut the overall cost of roaming.

Filed under:Mobile Tagged with: 3G • Europe • Orange UK • Roaming Charges • UK