11th November 2004 - Vodafone announced 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.
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."
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.
-- Extensive range of 10 new 3G handsets offering
a wide choice for customers
-- 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
