Mass Sing-along in London’s Trafalgar Square for T-Mobile’s follow-up to hit Dance Ad Campaign

Mass Sing-along in London’s Trafalgar Square for T-Mobile’s follow-up to hit Dance Ad Campaign

Key facts:

§ 13,000 people break into simultaneous song in a mass karaoke session in Trafalgar Square for new T-Mobile advert

§ Builds on success of ˜Dance’ advert which had over 11 million views on YouTube alone

§ International artist, Pink, lends her voice

§ Advert to air during commercial break of Britain’s Got Talent from 21.00 on Saturday 2nd May on ITV1

London, 30th April 2009: T-Mobile is set to unveil the follow-up to its groundbreaking ˜Dance’ television advert, bursting into song on Saturday 2nd May with the premiere of ˜Sing-along’ filmed this evening in London’s Trafalgar Square.

The new advert features 13,000 people joining in a mass karaoke sing-along in London’s Trafalgar Square. Like ˜Dance,’ the ad was filmed with 24 cameras capturing the reactions of the public as over 2,000 microphones were handed out and giant screens projected the words to several karaoke classics. The mass choir brought Trafalgar Square to a standstill as commuters and passers-by belted out songs including Is This the Way to Amarillo and Summer Nights. Even international super star, Pink, joined in with the crowd.

˜Sing-along’ “ created by Saatchi & Saatchi “ will be edited in 48 hours, and premieres during the 21.00 commercial break of Britain’s Got Talent on ITV1 on 2nd May, and simultaneously on YouTube at http://www.youtube.co.uk/lifesforsharing/.

To generate buzz around the event, T-Mobile has created excitement through social media “ involving the community on Facebook and YouTube who got behind ˜Dance’ early on, to get them talking about ˜Sing-along’.

Lysa Hardy, Head of Brand and Communications at T-Mobile, said ’Dance’ was always going to be a hard act to follow, but we think we’ve created a worthy sequel with ˜Sing-along’. It’s another great dramatisation of our ˜Life’s for Sharing’ strapline “ something that’s unexpected, wonderful and exciting that you want to share with your friends and family.

Lysa continues: We’ve approached the campaign slightly differently this time by encouraging people who loved ˜Dance’ to get involved. And we have a number of activities planned once the ad goes live to really engage with consumers.

Paul Silburn, Creative Director at advertising agency, Saatchi & Saatchi London, said: With ˜Sing-along’, we wanted to generate a real feeling of anticipation and create a truly unique, memorable moment that everyone would want to share in. This event gave thousands of people the opportunity to experience first hand what the ˜Life’s for Sharing’ campaign is all about.”

Sing-along is exciting because we have developed the media strategy to further deliver against ˜Life’s for Sharing’, explains Anna Berry, MediaCom Planner. This started before the event by engaging with the audience who loved ˜Dance’, and giving them a teaser of the campaign to come. Ultimately, we want to share this content with as many people as possible and get them to engage with the brand: a two minute launch spot on ITV will be the spring board for this.

International superstar Pink said: ˜What a fantastic experience! Everyone singing along together in the middle of London “ it was incredible! I was thrilled to be a part of such an amazing event, and to share it with so many people. I can’t wait to see it on air.

The previous advertisement, ˜Dance’, was filmed at Liverpool Street Station in January, when 350 people from across the UK broke into a dance routine to the surprise of commuters. Hidden cameras captured the event as the troupe completed moves from a variety of dance genres, including ballroom, hip hop and 60’s. The campaign became a YouTube sensation, generating over 11 million hits, made its way around the world as a viral and inspired numerous fan sites and spin-offs.

Internal competition

As with ˜Dance’, a handful of T-Mobile employees have been at the heart of the action. Staff were invited to upload videos onto a microsite of themselves singing, where they were then voted on by T-Mobile employees across the business. The five winners travelled to London for the shoot and were part of the ad.

Campaign rollout

Following the premiere of the full-length, two-minute advert on 2nd May, a variety of versions will be used over the following weeks, incorporating and highlighting a variety of T-Mobile’s products and services.

List of songs performed

I Say A Little Prayer

Written by Bacharach and David

Published by P and P Songs Limited / Universal Music Publishing Limited

Is This The Way To Amarillo

Written by Sedaka and Greenfield

Published by Warner/Chappell Music Limited

Baby One More Time

Written by Sandberg

Published by Imagem Music Limited

Summer Nights

Written by Casey and Jacobs

Published by Warner/Chappell Music Limited

Total Eclipse Of The Heart

Written by Steinman

Published by EMI Music Publishing Limited

Build Me Up Buttercup

Written by D’Abo and Macaulay

Published by EMI Music Publishing Limited / Sony/ATV Music Publishing / Universal Music Publishing Limited

Piece Of My Heart

Written by Ragovoy and Berns

Published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing / Warner/Chappell Music Limited

Hey Jude

Written by Lennon and McCartney

Published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing

So What

Written by Moore, Max and Schuster

Published by EMI Music Publishing Limited / Kobalt Music Publishing Limited

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T-Mobile G1 Sales to Hit 100,000 as New Features Launch

T-Mobile G1 Sales to Hit 100,000 as New Features Launch

Operator also confirms a second T-Mobile Android phone will be unveiled later this year
London, 28 April 2009: The news comes as the groundbreaking phone is about to receive a raft of brand new features, including a touch-screen keyboard and video record and playback, which will be available in May thanks to the comprehensive Android 1.5 update.

Since it launched in October 2008, the T-Mobile G1 has proved a hit with UK consumers, outstripping sales of all other T-Mobile handsets with sales rapidly approaching 100,000 units. G1 owners have praised its slide-out QWERTY keyboard and the ability to switch easily between functions like text, email, instant messaging or social networking. Customers have also commended the G1’s high-speed data connection and full internet browser which makes the most of T-Mobile’s award-winning 3G Broadband network. In fact, recent independent research shows that 90% of G1 owners are extremely satisfied with the device and the value they get with their price plan and would recommend the G1 to a friend1.

The T-Mobile G1 is available for free from just £30 per month and includes unlimited* internet browsing on all 12 and 18 month contracts.

The T-Mobile G1 is set to get even better in May when all new and existing G1 owners will receive the ‘Cupcake’ update over the air. This is made possible by the G1’s Android operating system, which means that customers receive updates whenever new features become available, so that their phone is always running on the latest software.

Another new feature is the touch-screen keyboard, giving T-Mobile G1 owners a choice between the touch-screen keyboard for writing short bursts of text such as Twitter updates and the slide-out QWERTY keyboard for writing longer messages such as emails.

1Customer satisfaction results from research conducted by Simpson Carpenter, 1st April 2009

The software update allows G1 owners to use the 3.2 megapixel camera to film videos and upload them straight to YouTube™, as well as uploading photos straight to their personal Picasa Web Album™.

There are numerous other new features and improvements with the new update, including new widgets for the calendar and the music player, alongside new zoom functions on the G1’s camera and improvements to the e-mail client and the web browser.

Richard Warmsley, Head of Internet and Entertainment, T-Mobile, said: „Sales of the T-Mobile G1 have exceeded our expectations – we are very excited to hit the milestone of 100,000 units sold in just over six months. Our customer research has shown us that nine out of ten G1 users would recommend it to a friend and this is down to the great user experience, web browsing via T-Mobile’s award winning Broadband network, the value a customer receives on our 18 month price plans, and G1 features such as the slide-out QWERTY keyboard.”

Richard continued: „We’re committed to delivering a market leading internet service, and are excited that with the G1 and Android Market™ customers can tailor that experience to make it more relevant to how they want to use their phone. We’re looking forward to launching another groundbreaking phone on Android later this year.”

The T-Mobile G1 complete with the new features is available for free on T-Mobile Combi and Flext price plans. The most popular price plan is Combi30, including 700 minutes unlimited texts, and unlimited high speed internet powered by T-Mobile’s award-winning broadband network all for just £35 per month.

Vital statistics: New features of T-Mobile G1

New touch-screen keypad
Full video record and playback in MPEG-4 & 3GP formats
Direct uploading of video to YouTube
Copy and paste within browser
View Google Talk™ friends’ status in Contacts, SMS, MMS, Google Mail™, and Email applications
Animated window transitions
Accelerometer based application rotations
Faster camera start-up and image capturing
Direct upload of photo to Picasa
Faster acquisition of GPS location
More home screen widgets
Stereo Bluetooth support of both A2DP & AVCRP profiles plus auto-pairing
Faster browser with updated Webkit & Javascript engine
In-page search function
User interface refinements to key tools including
Google Mail
Email
Browser
SMS & MMS
Contacts, call logs and favourites
Camera & gallery
Calendar
Applications management
Vital Statistics: Existing features of the T-Mobile G1

Available in two colours – black and white
GPS and compass
Rich HTML email client which seamlessly syncs email with POP3 or IMAP services
3.5G (HSDPA/HSUPA) and Wi-Fi connectivity
3 Mega pixel camera
MP3 music player
Pre-installed 2 GB Micro SD memory card (Device supports up to an 16 GB card)
Bluetooth-enabled
Up to 130 hours standby and up to 5 hours talk time
Dimensions: 117.7 x 55.7 x 26.5 mm
Weight: 158g
G1 customer satisfaction:

When asked about their reasons for choosing the T-Mobile G1, 75% of G1 owners said that the value delivered by T-Mobile’s price plans was important in their decision to buy the G1, whilst 52% named the fact that the device came free with the T-Mobile contract.

T-Mobile G1 Price Plans

Flext: get the T-Mobile G1 free on Flext with web’n’walk Plus for just £30 per month including unlimited* mobile internet browsing and up to 700 minutes or up to 1,400 texts or any mix of the two
Combi: get the T-Mobile G1 free on Combi with web’n’walk Plus for just £35 per month including unlimited* mobile internet browsing, up to 700 minutes, and unlimited texts. And for a limited time, get 33% off Combi for the first 3 months, so you pay just £25.10 for the first 3 months (£35 per month thereafter).

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T-Mobile Announces a UK First for BlackBerry Customers: Pay Once for a Year of Unlimited Email and Internet

T-Mobile Announces a UK First for BlackBerry Customers: Pay Once for a Year of Unlimited Email and Internet

For a one-off payment of £179.99 T-Mobile is offering:

§ Silver-coloured BlackBerry® Pearlâ„¢ 8110, which includes a 2 Mega pixel camera and in-built GPS

§ A year’s unlimited* email and internet on your BlackBerry®

§ Pay as you go top-ups for calls, texts and MMS

§ Pre-loaded quick-links for favourite social networking sites and Instant Messaging

§ Available in T-Mobile stores from 1st May

London, 23 April 2009: T-MobileUK today unveils a new way to pay for a BlackBerry®smartphone: Pay once for a silver-coloured BlackBerry® Pearlâ„¢ 8110 smartphone and a year’s unlimited* email and internet access.

The ˜Pay once’ concept is a market first, giving people the chance to experience the hugely popular BlackBerry email service and access to internet sites and social networks on the move for a year “ all for just a single payment of £179.99. Customers just have to top-up their credit as usual to make calls and send texts and picture messages.

T-Mobile’s new offer is set to make BlackBerry smartphones accessible to new groups of mobile phone customers. It’s sure to be a hit with students, letting them stay connected to family and friends by email, via IM, Facebook or MySpace. And for those just starting out in business “ whether they’re running a small business or entering the workplace for the first time “ it’s the perfect way to access personal and work emails, without the worry of hidden costs.

The ˜Pay once’ concept also makes giving a BlackBerry as a gift viable for the first time, as there’s no ongoing cost involved for the person giving the gift, and the recipient just pays for top-ups for calls and texts when they want to.

The T-Mobile BlackBerry Pearlâ„¢ 8110 smartphone comes in silver, and features a 2 Mega pixel camera for snapping photos and recording video, in-built GPS so you’ll never get lost again, and a 3.5mm earphone jack for listening to music on the move. The pre-loaded quick-links include favourite sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Flickr. And as you would expect from a BlackBerry smartphone, there’s also a user-friendly SureType® QWERTY key pad which makes writing messages and making phone calls quick and easy.

Richard Warmsley, Head of Internet and Entertainment, T-MobileUK, commented: T-Mobile’s Pay once BlackBerry is the world’s first package to offer a year’s instant email and internet for a one-off payment. For an affordable £179.99, get a brand new silver BlackBerry Pearl smartphone and unlimited e-mail and web for 12 months, with top-ups available for calls and texts. When life can feel busier than ever, it’s even more important that everyone has the right to easy email and web access to keep friends and family close, and to help to organise their busy lives. Now customers have a grab-and-go quality BlackBerry solution that means they don’t have to think about the cost of using email and internet services for 12 months.

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T-Mobile UK appoints Srini Gopalan as New Chief Marketing Officer

T-Mobile UK appoints Srini Gopalan as New Chief Marketing Officer

London, 21 April 2009: T-MobileUK has appointed Srini Gopalan as Chief Marketing Officer, responsible for revenue development for the business covering customer relationship management, loyalty and retention, brand development and marketing communications.

Gopalan (38) joins T-Mobile from Capital One Bank (Europe) plc, where as Managing Director for Europe, he built a successful challenger brand in the highly competitive financial services market. Before taking up the position of MD in 2007, Gopalan was Head of Marketing and Analysis, spearheading Capital One’s revenue growth, risk management and customer relationship management strategies.

Welcoming Srini, Mark Martin, HR Director, T-Mobile said: With his wealth of experience in revenue management, customer insights and marketing communications, and his track record in building a challenger brand, Srini is perfectly positioned to help us realise our ambitious plans for T-Mobile in the UK.

Commenting on his new role, Srini said: It’s a really great time to be joining T-Mobile “ I’m excited aboutcapitalising on the momentum generated by the iconic ˜Life’s for Sharing’ campaign, and bringing my experience of customer insight and management to such a dynamic sector.

The appointment is announced following the mobile operator’s groundbreaking advertising campaign around its new ˜Life’s for Sharing’ brand strapline. The campaign,centred on 350 dancers in Liverpool Street station in London, has proved to be an internet phenomenon, receiving over 10.5 million views on YouTube.

Before joining Capital One, Srini spent four years as a consultant with leading management consultancy, Accenture. He takes up his position at T-Mobile in June.

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T-Mobile gives small businesses market-leading value with the new Business SIM-Plan

T-Mobile gives small businesses market-leading value with the new Business SIM-Plan

Built to meet the needs of its small business customers in a downturn, T-Mobile Business SIM-Plan offers unlimited UK texts and 2,000 minutes of inclusive UK calls for just £30 per month

§ Unlimited texts and 2,000 minutes of inclusive UK calls for small businesses wanting up to 30 users
§ Unlimited mobile internet and email add-on available for just £5 per month
§ Offering complete flexibility when times are tough, T-Mobile Business SIM-Plan allows businesses to choose a 30 day rolling, 6 or 12 month plan
§ Easy to use and control costs, simply place the new SIM into an existing phone and it is ready for business use

London, UK – 16 April, 2009: T-Mobile today announces its new Business SIM-Plan that has been built specifically for UK small businesses, offering a flexible mobile solution for companies wanting up to 30 users. Each user receives 2,000 minutes of inclusive calls to UK landlines and mobile phones, unlimited UK texts as standard, as well as the option of unlimited mobile email and internet access* for just £5 extra per month. The new SIM-plan for business offers competitive value and flexibility for users that don’t want to be tied to lengthy contracts.

Recognising that real businesses in today’s economic climate need flexible, reliable and above all, cost effective communication plans, T-Mobile is giving small businesses access to all the tools needed to work on the move. No other business SIM only plan currently available offers such great value with 2,000 inclusive minutes and unlimited texts for only £30. Using existing phones and numbers, businesses can simply decide whether they want a 30 day rolling, six month or 12 month plan, insert the SIM(s) and then get on with what they do best.

Oliver Chivers, Head of Business Marketing for T-Mobile UK, comments, “In today’s tough market conditions small businesses need all the features that come with long-term mobile plans but often don’t need to upgrade their phones or want to lock themselves into lengthy contracts as they’re unsure of what their exact future needs will be. The T-Mobile Business SIM-Plan has been built with small businesses in mind – offering unrivalled value for money, with short-term plans and a plug-and-play SIM card that meets their real needs. We know our business customers have other priorities, which is why we continue to launch business products that keep it simple and help them control costs without compromising on service and reliability.”

With free voicemail, itemised billing and account health checks coming as standard, Business SIM-Plan customers can also expect the same dedicated support of T-Mobile’s business customer service team as its Business 1-Plan contract customers. In addition, all Business SIM-Plan connections can opt to take our Mobile Office add-on, giving unlimited mobile email and internet for just £5 per month. This is compatible with Windows Mobile Email and BlackBerry Instant Email, offering constant email and internet access for business users away from the office.

Business SIM-Plan has been created to compliment T-Mobile’s existing business tariff, Business 1-Plan. The successful refresh of Business 1-Plan in January 2009, which culminated in a T-Mobile Business advertising campaign in March and April, has lead to record sales of BlackBerry devices this year.

Both business tariffs are available through T-Mobile’s business channels. For more information visit http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/business

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T-Mobile arrives at Brent Cross Shopping Centre Mobile phone retailer opens new store amidst dance frenzy

T-Mobile arrives at Brent Cross Shopping Centre
Mobile phone retailer opens new store amidst dance frenzy

Key features:

§ Dance competition with fantastic prizes to be won

§ Special appearance by Camilla Dallerup and Ian Waite from Strictly Come Dancing

§ Entertainment from street dancers

London, UK 9 April: T-Mobile today announces the opening of its latest store “ in Brent Cross Retail Centre, North London. Located in the original multi-storey shopping centre, the store will open amid a flurry of activity giving customers the opportunity to win money-can’t-buy prizes by entering their own version of the Life’s for Sharing T-Mobile dance.

Judged by Strictly Come Dancing’s Camilla Dallerup and Ian Waite, shoppers can record their moves on video in the Dance Diary Room in the heart of the shopping centre, from 15 April. Winners will be invited back on Saturday 18 April, for front-row seats to a dance show and to win fantastic prizes. These include a day for five people at Pineapple Dance Studios, a Sony Ericsson W705 handset, Guitar Hero game and console, a shopping spree and personal stylist at Brent Cross as well as a Ministry of Sound DJ academy experience. Featuring performances from the Strictly Come Dancing duo and T-Mobile dancers from the infamous TV advert, Brent Cross will be dancing all day!

There will be some fantastic opening offers and customers will receive a £50 high street voucher when they join selected pay monthly plans in-store, plus free T-Mobile cupcakes and coffee located outside the T-Mobile store. John Steven, T-Mobile Area Manager said: This is an exciting opportunity for us to show customers at Brent Cross what the T-Mobile experience is all about.

The Brent Cross store features the latest in T-Mobile design: floating window display cubes promoting innovative handsets make it our most exciting shop front to date. For ease of use, the store is divided into dedicated zones: customers can browse T-Mobile’s range of pay as you go and pay monthly tariffs, and explore sections dedicated to business, music and the internet. The store also includes a relaxation area where shoppers can try out mobile broadband services including laptops and USB modems, and the innovative Sharedock that allows several users to share a single mobile broadband stick.

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Arqiva named as principal cell site partner for pioneering 3G network integration project

Arqiva named as principal cell site partner for pioneering 3G network integration project

Strategic site partner for T-MobileUK and 3 UK joint venture

· Arqiva to provide 5,100 sites to support acceleration of 3G network integration

· Arqiva site portfolio offers fast turnaround and cost-effective sharing

· Network consolidation will deliver near complete 3G population coverage by 2010

Mobile Broadband Network Limited (MBNL), the joint venture between T-Mobile UK and 3 UK formed to create and manage what will be the UK’s most extensive 3G network, has selected Arqiva as its strategic partner for the provision of cell sites.

Under the terms of the 10-year agreement, Arqiva will provide MBNL with 5,100 sites and Arqiva will have exclusive marketing rights for site sharing services on a further 2,500 sites.

T-MobileUK and 3 UK entered into an infrastructure consolidation agreement in January 2008 with the objective of creating the UK’s most extensive 3G network by 2010, providing close to complete nationwide population coverage. This pioneering model for network consolidation will dramatically increase the uptake of 3G services as a result of improved nationwide coverage and the higher quality of in-building reception. The reduction in capital investment in infrastructure, the decommissioning of an estimated 5,000 sites and the lower operational costs achieved by jointly managing and maintaining a shared network is expected to generate a joint saving of £2 billion over 10 years.

Graham Payne, managing director of MBNL, said: This is a substantial contract for MBNL and the most significant in terms of provision of sites for the integrated network. The Arqiva team has given us a lot of confidence in its ability to quickly deliver the sites and upgrades as the pace of network consolidation rapidly increases over the course of 2009. We are delighted to have Arqiva as our strategic partner and look forward to a long and prosperous relationship.

John Cronin, managing director of Arqiva’s Wireless Access division, said: We are very pleased to continue our long-standing relationship with T-Mobile and 3 UK and to be playing such a significant role in this groundbreaking project.

This announcement is the latest in series of key agreements awarded by MBNL covering 3G radio network infrastructure, network design and deployment, high-capacity backhaul and radio access network operations. MBNL is currently engaged in an intensive programme of site consolidation, cell site equipment upgrades and capacity expansion with the goal of delivering a fully integrated network by 2010.

Arqiva has over 24,000 marketable sites, many of which are in key urban locations, and has over 80 years’ experience in the deployment, management and maintenance of wireless networks throughout the UK.

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T-Mobile announces exclusive on the LG Arena in titan black

T-Mobile announces exclusive on the LG Arena in titan black

T-Mobile LG Arena in titan black “ key features:

§ High quality music and viewing experience with built-in Dolby® Mobile 2.0 for crisp, clear sound with MP3 files and video files

§ High performance touch-screen and easy-to-use on-screen virtual scroll-wheel to access internet, music, and Mobile TV on the move

§ 8Gb internal memory to store even more tracks

§ Expand your music collection with T-Mobile Mobile Jukebox, a one-stop destination for music downloads, news and merchandise

§ Surf the whole internet as you could on your PC or use the phone as a modem for your laptop via T-Mobile web˜n’walk

§ In-built 5 Mega pixel camera

LG Arena in titan black photography available on request

London, 26 March 2009: The new LG Arena will be exclusively available on T-Mobile in titan black, the mobile network announced today. The LG Arena comes with built-in Dolby Mobile sound for music fans who want a quality sound experience and is also designed to have a large screen to make it perfect for surfing the internet via T-Mobile web˜n’walk. The phone boasts the latest Dolby®Mobile 2.0 technology which means that you can enjoy video and music files in surround sound.

The phone is exclusively available from T-Mobile in a high-gloss, titan black and has a sleek touch screen with a clever little on-screen virtual scroll-wheel for easy access to music. The LG Arena also boasts a host of other features that make it ideal for music lovers, including a large screen which is perfect for watching music video downloads and access to Mobile Jukebox, T-Mobile’s mobile music download service, which offers instant access to full length music tracks and videos. The large screen also makes it ideal for customers who want to use the phone to watch their favourite YouTube clips and access social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Daniel Meredith, Head of Handset and Device Marketing, T-MobileUK: The LG Arena is not only a great looking handset, but it also comes with the sound quality credentials such as the Dolby Mobile sound that music fanatics will love. This phone is also top notch in terms of all-round performance and speed and it’s perfect for accessing our Mobile Jukebox service which connects our music-loving customers to the artists, news and music they want, whenever and wherever they want.

Jeremy Newing, LG Head of Marketing Mobile, added: We’re really proud of the LG Arena. We wanted to design a phone that would bring music closer to our customers. The Arena does this with its 3D user interface and on-screen virtual scroll-wheel for easy access and browsing. We designed the Arena with music in mind, placing a 3.5mm jack on the top of the handset and equipping it with an FM transmitter so our customers can play their tunes on any radio and even in the car.

The LG Arena in titan black will be available from T-Mobile stores from March 2009. For more details please visit: http://www.t-mobile.co.uk.

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News4Me – Leser testen die digitale Zeitung auf dem Handy

News4Me – Leser testen die digitale Zeitung auf dem Handy

Die zunehmende Digitalisierung von Informationen und Inhalten hat bei den Buchverlagen bereits zu neuen Angeboten wie E-Books geführt, die das Lesen auf neuen Endgeräten ermöglicht. Doch wie sieht die Entwicklung für die Tages- und Wochenzeitungen aus, wie nutzen diese künftig die neuen Möglichkeiten, ihre Leser mit aktuellen Informationen zu versorgen? Wie sieht die digitale Zeitung von morgen aus und welche Kriterien müssen erfüllt sein, damit sie vom Leser akzeptiert wird? Welchen Mehrwert bietet eine elektronische Zeitung und in welchen Situationen würde sie genutzt werden?

Um Antworten auf diese Fragen zu finden, haben sich die Deutsche Telekom Laboratories, Berlin, der General-Anzeiger Bonn und die dpa-infocom, Hamburg, zusammengeschlossen und gemeinsam mit dem Projekt „News4Me” den Prototyp einer Nachrichtenapplikation für den Einsatz auf mobilen Endgeräten wie Handys, Smartphones und E-Readern konzipiert und entwickelt.

Der General-Anzeiger Bonn und die dpa-infocom stellten für das Projekt lokale und überregionale Inhalte zur Verfügung, während die T-Labs die technische Umsetzung übernahmen. Am Ende entstand eine neue Form der digitalen Zeitung, die in einem Feldtest Ende November 2008 von. 28 Lesern des General-Anzeigers Bonn sowie Mitarbeitern von T-Mobile drei Wochen lang über ein iPhone mit vorinstalliertem News4Me-Client getestet wurde. News4Me bietet dem Leser die Möglichkeit, angezeigte Inhalte zupersonalisieren und somit an seine Interessen und Bedürfnisse anzupassen.

Um zu testen, ob auf mobilen Endgeräten nicht nur kurze Info-Häppchen, sondern auch ausführliche Texte gewünscht und genutzt werden, wurden gezielt längere Artikel im Angebot platziert. Technik und Layout berücksichtigen dabei die besonderen Eigenschaften der Geräte, wie zum Beispiel Bildschirmgröße oder ob das Gerät über einen Touchscreen verfügt.

Während des Tests führte jeder Teilnehmer ein Online-Tagebuch, in dem er seine persönlichen Erfahrungen mit „News4Me”, Vorteile, Nachteile, Probleme, Anregungen und Verbesserungsvorschläge festhielt. Außerdem stellte sich News4Me dem Vergleich mit herkömmlichen Print- und Online-Medien. Die Ergebnisse des Pilotversuchs wurden durch eine Abschlussbefragung ergänzt.

Viele Leser lobten das iPhone als Lesegerät und zeigten sich begeistert, immer und überall auf aktuelle Nachrichten zugreifen zu können. Die automatische Personalisierungsfunktion von News4Me konnte hingegen die meisten Nutzer nicht überzeugen, viele Versuchsteilnehmer zeigten sich skeptisch, ihre Lesegewohnheiten einem technischen System anzuvertrauen und zogen es vor, jederzeit selbst die Kontrolle über angezeigte Inhalte zu behalten. Weiterer interessanter Aspekt: Einige Leser konnten sich durchaus vorstellen, für einen Service wie News4Me in Zukunft Geld zu bezahlen.

Mithilfe des Leser-Feedbacks sind wertvolle Erkenntnisse gewonnen worden, die in die weitere Entwicklung von News4Me einfließen werden. Die T-Labs möchten das Thema E-Reading in Deutschland mit Partnern wie dem General-Anzeiger Bonn und dpa-infocom weiter vorantreiben. Aus dem Feldtest ergeben sich Anhaltspunkte, die eine Eignung von E-Readern zur optimalen Darstellung der digitalen Zeitung nahe legen. So lässt sich der zeitungstypische Überblick nur bedingt auf herkömmlichen Smartphones realisieren. Im Rahmen des laufenden Projekts soll deshalb eine Empfehlung hinsichtlich geeigneter Endgeräte erarbeitet werden.

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COSMOTE bringt iPhone 3G auf den Markt

COSMOTE bringt iPhone 3G auf den Markt

Cosmote führt das iPhone 3G in den griechischen Markt ein

Das iPhone 3G vereint drei Produkte in einem Gerät – ein revolutionär gestaltetes Telefon, ein Breitbild-iPod und ein bahnbrechendes Internetgerät, die zusammen unglaublich vielseitige Möglichkeiten für den mobilen Lebensstil bieten. Mit der schnellen 3G-Vernetzung, GPS-Mapping und Unterstützung von Unternehmens-Leistungsmerkmalen einschließlich Microsoft Exchange gibt das iPhone 3G noch mehr Funktionalitäten in die Hand.

Der innovative App Store bietet Zugang zu Zehntausenden von Anwendungen – angefangen von Spielen und sozialen Netzwerken bis hin zu Finanzplanung und Gesundheitsmanagement, wodurch bisher über 800 Millionen Downloads erfolgt sind. Das iPhone 3G ist jetzt in mehr als 70 Ländern weltweit erhältlich.

Das iPhone 3G kann jetzt mit einer Reihe neuer COSMOTE-Tarifangebote erworben werden. Dazu zählen Freiminuten und SMS-Dienste schon ab € 20 monatlich, und bei ausgewählten Tarifen wird das iPhone sogar kostenfrei bereit gestellt. Erhältlich ist das iPhone 3G in allen COSMOTE-Läden in Griechenland sowie über GERMANOS und ausgewählte OTE-Shops.

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