STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Dec. 2, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Vodafone Sweden is now launching Vodafone live! -- a consumer concept that has met with great success in Europe by making mobile communication simpler and more fun.
It's as easy to take photos and send or receive colour pictures, as it is to send an SMS. You can also play games with a friend, send e-mail, or download new polyphonic ringing signals. The concept also offers news updates and access to information, including colour pictures, about anything from sports and the weather to the best restaurants or the latest films. And, of course, you can make and receive phone calls with Vodafone live! In fact, it opens up a whole new world of mobile services in colour, sound and pictures, all fully integrated with the market's very latest camera telephones. The concept is being launched to consumers today.
"Vodafone live! is a brand new concept for us and is part of our efforts to make it simpler and more fun for customers to use today's mobile telephony services in colour, pictures and sound. It includes the ability to communicate in pictures, and gives you access to a lot of useful information. For example, about the best restaurants in the neighbourhood just when you need it most," said Goran Mannerstrale, Director of Consumer Affairs at Vodafone Sweden.
The concept is being sold as a package that includes a camera telephone that is pre-programmed for all services and is ready to use directly on purchase. The services are easy to access via Vodafone live!'s own user interface directly from your mobile phone.
"We have great faith in the potential of communicating in pictures. It provides a whole new way of sharing everyday moments with each other, wherever we may be. We are also delighted to be able to offer such a wide spectrum of content services in colour and pictures, allowing our customers to get news updates and find interesting links to food and drink guides or information about films, travel, music, etc.," he said.
These information and game services will mainly be provided by external content partners using their own brands. The following companies and media are already affiliated: Aftonbladet, Dagens Nyheter, EuroFlorist, Gourmet, Goteborgs-Posten, Kalador Entertainment (games), ManagerZone (games), Mobilehits, MusicBrigade, Resfeber.se, Reuters, Sandrews, SMHI, Vagabond and Ginza (site not yet available). Vodafone live! also offers users exclusive James Bond material for their mobile phones. The number of content providers will also be growing in the near future.
Vodafone's customers will also be able to use Vodafone live! services even when they are abroad. This means that you will be able to send your own mobile postcards using holiday snaps(a).
To use Vodafone live!, customers need a Vodafone live! mobile phone. On the launch date, the concept includes a Panasonic GD87 with colour screen and in-built camera. The Nokia 7650 will be available as of January next year and in 2003, Vodafone is planning to offer even more Vodafone live! telephones made by a variety of mobile phone manufacturers.
Users who buy a Panasonic GD87 with a new subscription or prepaid card will automatically have access to all the services. This also applies to those who already have Vodafone prepaid cards or subscriptions. All they need to do is buy the telephone to use the Vodafone live! services.
Prices for the Panasonic GD87 camera telephone The recommended retail prices for the Panasonic GD87 are as follows:
SEK 1,995 with a 24-month "Easy Fritid" subscription, monthly fee SEK 200 SEK 4,375 with a 24-month "Easy Fritid" subscription, monthly fee SEK 100 SEK 4,500 with a 12- and 18-month "Easy Fritid" subscription, monthly fee SEK 100 SEK 6,000 with a subscription with no binding period SEK 6,125 unsubsidised/prepaid card.
Prices for content services
The following companies will be charging for their content services as of the launch date. Users gain access to each site for the amounts and periods specified below.
Aftonbladet SEK 3/day
Dagens Nyheter SEK 3/day
Goteborgs-Posten SEK 3/day
SMHI SEK 7/day
Reuters Nyheter SEK 20/30 days
Kalandor (games) SEK 5-7/14 days or SEK 5-7/30 days
depending on the game
ManagerZone (games) SEK 10/30 days
Other content providers will initially be offering access to their Websites free of charge.
Traffic fees
Vodafone Sweden will not be charging users for the time they are connected to these sites. Instead, users will pay for the amount of information (data) they send or receive. Until January 31, 2003, Vodafone Sweden will have a trial offer during which users will not have to pay any traffic fee. Vodafone Sweden will be presenting its prices for GPRS traffic in January.
Prices for MMS
MMS can be sent free of charge until January 31, 2003. After that, the cost of sending an MMS will be SEK 4.80 including VAT for a 30 kb message(b). Picture messages cost nothing to receive.
Prices for ringing signals and pictures Ringing signals and pictures can be downloaded at a fixed price:
- Ringing signals SEK 10 per download. - Pictures between SEK 4-10/picture.
Press pictures of the Vodafone live! telephone and services are available for publication and can be downloaded at www.vodafone.se/pressbilder.
(a) Subscription customers can send an MMS from Denmark, Finland, The
Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain,
the U.K., Germany and Hungary. More countries will be added on a
continuous basis and an updated list can be found at www.vodafone.se.
(b) 30 kb is the equivalent of 2 photos combined with sound and text. This
may vary, however, depending on the mobile phone used.
For more information, please contact:
Vodafone Sweden
Goran Mannerstrale, Director of Consumer Affairs Tel: +46 708 33 18 45 e-mail: goran.mannerstrale@vodafone.se David Erixon, Head of Marketing, Consumer Affairs Tel: +46 709 61 47 77 e-mail: david.erixon@vodafone.se
Europolitan Vodafone AB is listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange O-list on Attract 40. The operations are conducted by Europolitan Vodafone AB and its subsidiaries, Vodafone Sverige AB and Vodafone Stores AB. The majority shareholder is Vodafone Group Plc (NYSE:VOD), with 74.7 per cent of the shares, while private shareholders, investment companies and pension funds own the remaining 25.3 per cent. The Vodafone Group is the world's largest mobile network and is represented in 28 countries on five continents. It has over 229 million mobile telecoms users. Our services enhance the efficiency of companies' operations and make it simpler and more fun for people to communicate. For more information, please visit our Website at www.vodafone.se and www.vodafone.com.
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