Above
: Arun Sarin, Chief Executive, Vodafone Group Plc
Europe
: Vodafone today announces the global launch of Vodafone live! with
3G across an unrivalled 13 countries. Vodafone live! with 3G will
be available in Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy,
Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the
UK.

Extensive
range of 10 new 3G handsets offering a wide choice for customers
Close
up photos of the phones below |
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Following
the success of the Vodafone Mobile Connect 3G data card and the introduction
of initial 3G consumer services across eight European markets, the
launch of Vodafone live! with 3G is the next significant step in Vodafone's
3G strategy.

Launched
in October 2002, Vodafone live! was the first mobile service to integrate
handsets, networks, content and services to produce an end to end,
easy to use customer proposition. Vodafone live! with 3G is the next
generation of Vodafone's multi-media consumer offering. The customer
experience is transformed by faster download speeds and improved quality
of sound and images, encouraging increasing adoption and usage of
Vodafone's services.
Vodafone
has also created a new, easy to understand pricing model. This model
is designed to ensure customers receive simpler bills and to encourage
usage through increased cost transparency. Content purchases will
be charged on an event basis and browsing will be free or included
in a highly attractive bundle of services. Customers will also be
offered promotional bundles to promote the uptake of new Vodafone
services. 3G voice propositions will offer more value for money to
customers, with each Vodafone operating company offering market specific
pricing plans.
Arun
Sarin, Chief Executive, Vodafone, said:
"Today
is an important day for Vodafone and the start of a new era in mobile
communications.
"Vodafone
live! with 3G will dramatically change the way our customers experience
their Vodafone services and we are confident that Vodafone live! with
3G will be a success. Customers want communication, organisation,
entertainment and information on the move and they will increasingly
turn to one device to deliver these needs – their mobile phone.
"Vodafone
live! with 3G will become increasingly mass market next year and we
expect over 10 million customers to be using Vodafone live! with 3G
by March 2006 in our subsidiaries.
"Vodafone
live! with 3G provides Vodafone with a new platform for profitable
growth. We are leaders in the evolution of mobile communications and
we will continue to be at the forefront of innovation to the benefit
of our customers and shareholders."
Further
detail on Vodafone live! with 3G
The service
proposition has several key, integrated elements:
Handsets
Vodafone
will offer an initial, extensive range of 10 new 3G handsets for the
Christmas period from Sharp, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, NEC, Nokia and
Samsung. Seven of the handsets are exclusive to Vodafone and the range
has been designed to offer a wide customer choice of high, mid and
low tier priced 3G devices. Seven handsets from this range will be
available in Japan, with nine available in Europe.
Individual
Vodafone operating companies have selected the most appropriate handsets
for their local customer needs from this range.
The handsets
have been designed in close collaboration with Vodafone's manufacturing
partners to ensure easy to use service delivery with the now improved
Vodafone live! portal.
Enhanced
handset features now include:
Better imaging capabilities: Europe's first 2 mega pixel camera phone
Improved audio: stereo speakers, full track music download
Expandable memory storage: 32MB provided as standard
Portal
Based
on extensive customer feedback, the Vodafone live! with 3G portal
has been significantly improved. Vodafone has made it even easier
for customers to access services, enabling Vodafone live! with 3G
to meet their needs quickly and intuitively. Customers can access
the services that are important to them with fewer clicks and faster
navigation.
The portal
now offers faster downloads of services and topical content which
is updated at least on a daily basis. Promotions will sit at the top
of the page to provide customers with the latest offers and most up
to date information. An initial number of Vodafone markets will also
offer a dynamic portal, which automatically configures customers'
favourite content to the top of their home page, meaning they can
get to the services they want faster. This function will be deployed
across an increasing number of Vodafone markets in due course.
Services
and Content
Vodafone
live! with 3G delivers new services to customers including video calling,
full track music download, 3D games and mobile TV. Current Vodafone
live! services and content have been improved through better quality
sound, pictures and video, including services such as video and picture
messaging.
Video
Calling
Video calling enables Vodafone customers to see and hear one another
when making a call. With several handsets in the initial 3G range,
Vodafone live! with 3G customers will be able to flip the camera view
of the handset to allow the person they are calling to see what they
are seeing.
Picture
and Video Messaging
Picture messaging has been improved, with better quality pictures
which can be sent to friends, family or colleagues direct to camera
phones, e-mail or the Web.
Customers
can now take higher quality video messages due to the better camera
resolutions of Vodafone live! with 3G handsets. The increased memory
capabilities of Vodafone live! with 3G handsets allows customers to
store more video and picture messages than ever before on their mobile
phones.
Full
Track Music Download
Music is a core offering of Vodafone live! with 3G. Customers can
download full track music downloads to their handset and listen to
near CD quality full music tracks, rather than small bursts of music
through realtones or ring tones.
Thousands
of full track music downloads from some of the world's greatest artists
have been secured through an extension of Vodafone's existing deal
with Sony BMG Music Entertainment, as well as new agreements for music
from the catalogues of EMI and Warner Music. An exciting selection
of master recording ring tones ("realtones") is also available
from artists signed to EMI, Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Universal
Mobile.
Customers
will be able to download live performance videos from their favourite
bands and stream award-winning programming clips like "Cribs"
and "Dirty Sanchez" direct to their mobiles through Vodafone's
multi-territory agreement with MTV.
3D Games
Vodafone live! with 3G takes mobile games to the next level with its
VFX games engine. Not only will the catalogue of Vodafone favourites
be more accessible than ever before, but the larger download capabilities
of Vodafone's 3G network will offer even better graphics, sound and
depth to its games content, providing customers with a much better
games experience.
The additional
bandwidth of 3G also paves the way for high quality 3D games and Vodafone
is introducing a range of branded titles at launch. These include
a world mobile exclusive of the console smash hit "Crash Twinsanity"
(Wonderphone/Vivendi Universal Games), Sega's "Super Real Tennis",
stunning racing action with "Ferrari Experience 3D" and
the downhill excitement of "Extreme Air Snowboarding" from
Sumea/Digital Chocolate. Thrills of another kind are available in
Superscape's "3D Evel-ution", based on the world-renowned
stuntman, Evel Knievel. Another Sumea/Digital Chocolate produced Vodafone
exclusive, and making its debut on mobile, is the fun and compelling,
"Beach Minigolf".
A selection
of Vodafone live! with 3G launch handsets will feature embedded, limited-play
trials and trailers of the above titles enabling customers to "try
before you buy". The Vodafone live! with 3G portal will feature
a full dynamic listing of the games charts, ensuring customers always
have easy access to the most popular games.
Mobile
TV
Customers in a number of countries will be able to catch up on their
favourite television programmes by downloading or streaming video
clips straight to their handsets. Customers will be able to view local
and international sports, news, financial markets and other information
and entertainment from leading brands.
MobisodesTM
With the signing of an exclusive deal with Twentieth Century Fox,
Vodafone customers will be the first to experience a new generation
of made-for-mobile TV and film content. For the first time, Vodafone
customers will be able to go beyond the award winning drama series,
"24", with a unique series inspired by the television blockbuster.
Fans of "24" will be able to view twenty-four one minute
mobisodes of "24: Conspiracy", which tracks a parallel plot
of specially created characters inspired by the hit TV series.
Film
Each month, Vodafone live! with 3G will host a "Movie of the
Month", enabling customers to view trailers and clips of the
film, as well as to download associated animated greetings, picture
messages, wallpapers and ringtones. The first "Movie of the Month"
is "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" and will be followed
by the Walt Disney presentation of a Pixar Animation Studios film,
"The Incredibles", and Twentieth Century Fox's "Robots",
among other titles.
News
and Sport
Vodafone live! with 3G enables Vodafone to deliver breaking news directly
to customers through streamed video, video clips and picture bulletins.
Bigger video clips for longer news pieces can now be downloaded by
customers from leading news providers such as ITN in the UK, N24 in
Germany, Rai News in Italy and El Mundo in Spain.
Customers
will also be able to download video highlights of the UEFA Champions'
League and a range of domestic leagues such as the Barclays Premier
League, Serie A and B, the Bundesliga and La Liga. Manchester United
and Ferrari video highlights and archive downloads will also be available.
Pricing
Vodafone
has created new pricing which is designed to be simple to encourage
usage.
Vodafone
live! with 3G customers will enjoy a new experience for buying content.
Browsing will be free or included in a highly attractive bundle of
services. Content purchases will now be charged on an event basis,
rather than according to volume. The result is one simple line on
the bill for all content charges relating to each download, enabling
customers to easily track their purchases. In all markets Vodafone
will be offering promotional packages designed to encourage adoption
and trialling of new services.
The new
pricing model will also offer customers more value for money for voice
services as Vodafone is able to benefit its customers from the additional
capacity that 3G brings to its networks.
Each
Vodafone operating company will deliver pricing propositions tailored
to the local needs of its customers based on these broad principles.
Networks
Core
to the delivery of Vodafone live! with 3G are Vodafone's 3G networks.
Vodafone has invested significantly to ensure its customers have 3G
services of the highest quality. Vodafone customers will have seamless
handover of voice and data services from 3G to 2G, ensuring high quality
service delivery of Vodafone live! with 3G.
Vodafone's
strategy is to deploy 3G network coverage which delivers a high quality
service within defined data usage areas and then enhance this coverage
over time with carefully monitored customer demand and licence requirements.
Roaming
Vodafone's
networks have been engineered to deliver a seamless voice, data and
video calling roaming environment for a truly mobile service. Customers
travelling within the 13 markets announced today will be able to use
their Vodafone live! with 3G services seamlessly.
-- Seven
Vodafone exclusive handsets
-- Europe's first 2 mega pixel camera phone - Sharp 902
Enhanced portal design for even easier access
Exciting new services including video calling, full track music downloads
and 3D games
Broader range of new and improved content, including:
-- Extensive music catalogue from world's greatest artists
-- New made-for-mobile drama inspired by the blockbuster TV series
"24"
-- Exclusive videos, pictures, animated greetings and wallpaper
-- Launch of "Movie of the Month" starting with "Bridget
Jones: The Edge of Reason"
-- UEFA Champions League and Barclays Premiership video clips
-- Exclusive Manchester United and Ferrari mobile video content
-- Exciting new, exclusive games from world's leading games publishers
New approach to pricing offering even greater value to Vodafone customers
-- Event based pricing model for content purchases
Following the success of the Vodafone Mobile Connect 3G data card
and the introduction of initial 3G consumer services across eight
European markets, the launch of Vodafone live! with 3G is the next
significant step in Vodafone's 3G strategy