Vodafone is set for battle with iPhone
MOBILE phone giant Vodafone yesterday revamped its mobile internet service in a bid to tackle a growing threat from newcomers such as Apple, Nokia and Google.
The company said it was launching Vodafone 360, which allows phone users to merge e-mail and messaging contacts with their online social networking details in a high-tech “hub”. The group is trying to keep pace with entrants such as Apple’s iPhone that allow customers to use the internet on the move.
Chief executive Vittorio Colao said the new service was at the heart of a drive to grow its data business, which accounts for 10 per cent of the group’s revenues in Europe. “This is about putting contacts and social networks in one place,” he said.
Vodafone plans to launch the service in eight European countries by Christmas on two new customised mobiles from Samsung and more than a hundred non-exclusive handsets.
It said 360 would be available on Apple’s iPhone eventually, although not when it launches.
The company refused to say how much the new system had cost to develop, nor predict how it expected it to affect overall revenues, but said the project was its biggest development investment this year.