Vodafone today announces the launch of its global BlackBerry from Vodafone offering. The first product is the tri-band BlackBerry 7230 Wireless Handheld™ - incorporating a new, customised, Vodafone branded, icon-driven menu delivering the same ease of use as Vodafone live!.
BlackBerry is a leading wireless communications platform for mobile professionals. BlackBerry comprises advanced wireless handhelds, software, and services. The BlackBerry handhelds deliver phone, email, SMS, browser, and organiser functions in a single mobile device.
Vodafone will be offering both the BlackBerry Enterprise solution for business customers with corporate email infrastructure, or BlackBerry for small firms/individuals who either do not have a corporate email infrastructure and use Internet Service Provider* email or those who wish to access multiple email ** accounts from a single mobile device.
The BlackBerry push architecture means email is delivered direct to the handheld mobile device and customers receive emails automatically. Customers can also read and forward email attachments from their BlackBerry device (including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat).
BlackBerry from Vodafone for enterprise customers is available this month in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and the UK, with BlackBerry for individual customers becoming available in December.
Peter Bamford, Chief Marketing Officer at Vodafone, said: "A key part of our strategy is the provision of easy to use services that meet the needs of our customers. We have worked closely with Research In Motion to deliver this customised BlackBerry solution to ensure that our customers have a seamless, consistent Vodafone experience across a range of devices and service offerings."
Jim Balsillie, Chairman and Co-CEO of Research In Motion, the developer and manufacturer of BlackBerry said: "We are extremely pleased to expand our working relationship with Vodafone into new markets. The combination of RIM's push-based BlackBerry wireless platform with Vodafone's network expertise provides a powerful productivity solution to business users - both enterprise and individual customers alike."
More information can be found at http://www.vodafone.com/office
Notes to Editors:-
* Internet Service Provider email includes popular services such as MSN Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL, and Freeserve.
** Customers can access up to a maximum of 10 email accounts.
The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties of Research In Motion Limited. For further information:
Vodafone Group
Tim Brown, Group Corporate Affairs Director
Tel: +44 (0) 1635 673310
Investor Relations
Melissa Stimpson
Darren Jones
Tel: +44 (0) 1635 673310
Media Relations
Jon Earl
Janine Young
Emma Conlon
Tel: +44 (0) 1635 673310
Tavistock Communications
Lulu Bridges
Justin Griffiths
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7920 3150
