STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Oct. 15, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Vodafone Sweden (NYSE:VOD): Now you'll be able to use pictures to make your mobile communication easy and entertaining. As of today, Vodafone Sweden will be enabling its customers to send messages that contain colour pictures, sound and text between mobile phones (MMS). All you need is an MMS-enabled mobile phone and a subscription or prepaid card from Vodafone Sweden. The service will be provided free of charge up until 31 January 2003.
Picture messages add a whole new dimension to mobile communication. The Vodafone MMS service allows mobile users to send messages with pictures, sound and text to friends and acquaintances, whatever the occasion or mood. Maybe you want to tell someone about what's happening on your holiday, at a party, or at work. Or perhaps you'd like to use sound and pictures to convey your feelings to your loved ones.
"Pictures are at least as important as speech and text for communication, and MMS will allow people to communicate using all these modes of expression, either simultaneously or separately. Picture messages will open up entirely new opportunities for sharing moments and moods with others, whether everyday or special. The service is as simple to use as the currently popular SMS service," said Jon Risfelt, President and CEO of Vodafone Sweden.
Users can create their own picture messages by using mobile phones that have a built-in camera and then simply adding sound and text to these messages. They can also retrieve and use ready-prepared MMS from picture and sound banks on the Internet or from their mobile phone. Vodafone's status as the world leading mobile network also enables Vodafone Sweden customers to send pictures via their mobile phone when abroad (a).
"We are always aiming to provide seamless services. Picture messages are an incredibly simple and entertaining way of staying in touch with loved ones when you're on the move, regardless of whether you're on holiday or on a business trip," said Risfelt.
It costs nothing to receive an MMS. Recipients that do not have MMS- enabled mobile phones will instead receive a text message containing an address to a Web site where they can view their picture message. This applies irrespective of which operator the recipient has.
Up until 31 January 2003, Vodafone Sweden will be giving its customers the opportunity to send MMS messages free of charge. Thereafter, it will cost SEK 4.80 including VAT to send a message up to 30 KB(b)in size. The service will be available for all subscriptions and prepaid cards at Vodafone Sweden. Those using Nokia or Sony Ericsson mobile phones can send an SMS to number 9989 and receive the settings for MMS to their phones.
(a) Vodafone Sweden has GPRS agreements with the U.K., Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland. Additional countries will be added on an ongoing basis. The list is updated on www.vodafone.se.
(b)30 KB is equivalent to a couple of still pictures combined with sound and text. This can vary somewhat depending on the mobile phone model.
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 Johan Holmgren, Director of Public Relations Tel: +46 708 33 14 00 e-mail: johan.holmgren@vodafone.se
Pictures can be downloaded from: http://www.andysgraphics.com/ERELEASE/pressbilder.html
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, with 73.1 per cent of the shares, while private shareholders, investment companies and pension funds own the remaining 26.9 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 web site at www.vodafone.se and www.vodafone.com.
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