Vodafone opens global door wider

By ROB O'NEIL

Vodafone took to the streets yesterday, launching its global mobile internet platform in Australia.

The service, a portal called My Vodafone to be launched in New Zealand today, allows users to access web-based information from a range of devices including standard GSM mobiles using Short Message Service (SMS), internet-enabled phones and standard fixed lines.

Services advertised in Australia include web-based e-mail, shared calendars, address books, music, movie and restaurant information. It is expected transactional services such as banking and ticketing will follow as will web news alerts and real-time stock quotes.

A worldwide launch of the service is expected in July.

In Australia, registration for the service is free and a couple of the services are free for a trial period. Access, however, is not free. Through a web-enabled phone using the wireless application protocol (WAP) the service costs 20 Australian cents for 30 seconds charged by the second. Over SMS it costs 20 cents for each piece of information.

Also to be announced today is local content partnerships for the service. Among those expected to feature is iTouch New Zealand, in which Wilson & Horton, the publisher of the New Zealand Herald, intends to invest.

iTouch International, 70 per cent owned by Independent News & Media, is expected to list later in the year. It is associated with Vodafone in several markets.

In January, Wilson & Horton chief executive officer John Sanders said iTouch's services would be delivered under a non-exclusive agreement with Vodafone.

It is clear the future delivery of mobile internet will migrate to WAP-enabled phones as the technology is supported by all the major manufacturers.