UPDATE:Vodafone Launches Own 3G Handsets; In Talks On 2G

HONG KONG -(Dow Jones)- Vodafone Group launched its first own-brand consumer cellphone based on third-generation technology Thursday, and said it is exploring possibilities to make second-generation mobile handsets under its brand.

The company is talking with several parties including Chinese handset manufacturers, Vodafone group director of terminals, Jens Schulte-Bockum, told reporters following the launch of the new handset in Hong Kong.

“We are in discussions with many different players,” said the executive. “There is no front runner…we continue to monitor the space.”

He didn’t provide more specific details.

The new clamshell 3G handset, called Vodafone 710, will be launched across Europe from early October, the company said in a statement.

The handset will be supplied by China’s Huawei Technologies under an alliance signed by the two companies in February.

Schulte-Bockum said Vodafone is aiming to sell a minimum of 200,000 3G units in the next six months. Vodafone is also aiming to launch an upgraded version of the handset in early summer next year.

The executive said the handsets will cost 30% less than the handsets manufactured by first-tier manufacturers such as Nokia, Motorola and Samsung Electronics among others.

Huawei isn’t Vodafone’s first partner for original design manufacturer handsets. The company has a partnership with Taiwan’s High Tech Computer to supply handsets for business users.

The executive said the company is aiming to have around 3% to 5% of the handsets it offerscarry its own brand sometime in 2007.

Vodafone’s handset volume is around 45 million, of which a third is 3G handsets, according to Schulte-Bockum.

As part of the company’s aim to further boost the number of Vodafone-branded handsets and devices, the company also said Thursday it has relocated part of its terminals division from Japan to Hong Kong to better source new devices and negotiate contracts with Asian manufacturers.

On whether Vodafone has any near-term plans to increase its stake in China Mobile, the executive said: “We believe the current stake we have in China Mobile gives us a very good presence in China. I’m not aware of any plans to change the current position.” Vodafone has a 3.27% stake in China Mobile.

Vodafone has been paring its holdings in slow-growth markets, with the mobile operator agreeing in August to sell a 25% stake in Belgian mobile phone operator Proximus for $2.6 billion.

Source- http://www.cellular-news.com

Nokia-Latest mobile technology at GSM 3G Showcase

The event will be held in Dubai at the Dubai International Convention Center on the 11th and 12th of September. Nokia is one of the event’s largest participants.

The GSM 3G Middle East & Gulf Congress is the leading showcase of 3G mobile technology for the Middle East region. Nokia’s ground breaking work on enabling complete mobile convergence across networks, devices, media and businesses is on display at this year’s event. The event will also feature a discussion with Sakari Kotola, Senior Marketing Manager, Fixed-Mobile Convergence Marketing, Nokia. Mr. Kotola will discuss the topic of convergence, and what lies ahead in this all-important area of mobile technology.

‘Nokia is a leader in the development of 3G mobile technology,’ said Dr Walid Moneimne Senior Vice President, Europe Middle East and Africa Nokia.

Nokia will host several demos at its stand; among these is the Nokia Fixed Mobile Convergence Demonstration, to explain future trends, business drivers and operator challenges on the way to Next Generation Networks capable of delivering a seamless voice and multimedia service experience for users. Nokia will also present its end-to-end solution building blocks that will provide a cost-effective migration to an All-IP network. In the demonstration live call cases will be shown, using one unified core network with various mutually complementing fixed and cellular access bearers, such as GSM/EDGE/WCDMA, WLAN, and ADSL, among others.

‘Mobile convergence and the technology behind it are a central part of what Nokia has planned for the future,’ continued Dr Walid Moneimne of Nokia. ‘By participating in this event we succeed in letting businesses know that Nokia is working hard to create devices and networks that work seamlessly together, as well as advancing their needs and moving forward the level of technology as a whole.’

Attendees of the event will also be able to experience Nokia’s Prepaid Tracker, the world’s first fully network-based solution for automatically delivering prepaid subscribers their prepaid account balance and details to their mobile screens; the Nokia Unified Charging Suite (UCS) which offers operators the convergent online charging functionality for different services and service bundles combined with advanced loyalty programs, and the Nokia Flexi WCDMA BTS, a completely new way to build 3G base station sites.

The Nokia stand at the event is the number 83, which can be found near the primary entrance and exit of the event, and directly opposite of both the ‘Content Zone’ and the ‘Network Log-In Zone’.

Source- http://www.ameinfo.com/95821.html