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 February 2007 |
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hello ...
welcome to the February newsletter - our first of 2007! Although it probably seems like ages ago, I hope you enjoyed your holidays.
Some of the information linked to from this newsletter is only available to members of the Orange Partner programme. To become a member (membership is free), please complete and submit the short registration form >
Registration has opened for Orange Partner Camp, Cape Canaveral (Florida) 16-18 April 2007 – this will be our only Partner Camp of 2007. For more detail, see below or go to www.orangepartnercamp.com.
Find out how to get your products ready for commercialisation in the Orange Application Shop – a brand new soon-to-be launched route to market for your products and services.
Get the latest news from Orange and France Telecom Group, including the launch of new Unique devices, our preliminary financial results for 2006 and the launch of the Orange Lab networks.
Download a whitepaper on RSS feeds, and update yourself about the Mobile Web Initiative, plus read the final part of our feature on mobile music. |
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Lastly you can find out about the forthcoming opportunities to meet with the Orange Partner team, both at our own events, and at upcoming industry conferences.
Kind regards,
Steve Glagow
Orange Partner - Director |
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Orange Compatible – get your products ready for inclusion in the Orange Application Shop
If you would like to get your products considered for inclusion into the Orange Application Shop, then get your applications ready now!
In May last year we launched Orange Compatible a 'badge' of endorsement, from Orange.
The Orange Compatible endorsement establishes that a product or service has undergone the relevant industry and Orange compatibility testing, works effectively and reliably across Orange's network, systems and devices.
It also proves that we think it's commercially viable.
Over the next few months, as we gear-up for the imminent launch of the Orange Application Shop we will be looking for additional products and services, for distribution direct to our customers.
All of these products and services will need to have been granted the Orange Compatibility endorsement. Find out how to get Orange Compatible now >
More information about the Application Shop:
The shop will stock a huge range of applications aimed at personal use – from travel guides and GPS tools to personal productivity products, and will feature applications across all major platforms - RIM, Symbian (Series 60, UIQ …), Linux and Microsoft. A roll out to every major Orange market is anticipated.
We will be keeping you updated on developments with the Application Shop (which we will demonstrate at 3GSM in Barcelona this month), and Partner Camp in April will provide an opportunity for you to propose your products for inclusion, but in the meantime… gain Orange Compatibility. >
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Orange launches Unik for professionals – the new generation of fixed and mobile telephony
Take a look at the latest device specs on our website, and find out more about two of our Unique devices.
In October 2006 Orange was the first operator to launch a new generation of telephone, offering our customers genuine convergence. Read the full press release >
The Unique phone provides customers with mobile communication as well as unlimited calls to fixed lines and Orange mobiles when you are near a Livebox at home.
In January of this year, the offer was followed up in France, with the launch of "Unik for professionals" which offers fixed and mobile telephony to business customers. Read the full press release >
The offer is also being rolled out across other Orange European markets including the Netherlands, UK, Spain and Poland.
For customers it provides a single telephone, a single number, a single address book at home or on the move.
Check out the device specs for the Nokia 6136 and Samsung P200, Unique phones.
Plus, don't miss the new devices specs including the Alcatel OT-E801, Motorola RAZR V6, Nokia 5200, Samsung X830 blush and Sony Ericsson Z610i.
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Developing for Windows Mobile 5.0? – get all your questions answered
The presentation, questions and answers from the recent virtual seminar are available for you to view and download.
This highly popular virtual seminar by William Gunaratne, from Microsoft and Martin Wrigley, Orange, was extremely well attended.
The presentation was for developers with some experience in Windows Mobile 5.0, migrating from previous versions of the platform, or for those familiar with the mobile development environment, but new to the Microsoft platform.
We looked at Windows Mobile 5.0 from a developer perspective in conjunction with Microsoft, reviewing what is available now and how the platform has changed.
We discussed Visual Studio 2005, SDK availability, security policies for the Smartphone and PC, and getting your application tested and signed to meet both Orange and Microsoft guidelines. View the presentation and questions and answers from the virtual seminar >
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France Telecom Group launches global Orange Labs network – how does this benefit you?
The launch of the Orange Labs networks is one of the many ways in which France Telecom Group is demonstrating its commitment to being an integrated telecommunications operator, delivering innovative, user-focused services to its customers.
The integration of the France Telecom Group Research & Development entity into the company's core functions is a key component of the NExT strategic plan and allows us to leverage research and innovation from around the world. It also means that R&D will be much more closely aligned with the Orange brand. Read the full press release >
The Orange Partner programme has been working with Orange Labs (previously France Telecom Group R&D) since the programme's inception, to bring you the latest information on new technologies, and industry initiatives, such as the current Mobile Web Initiative and to facilitate your own involvement in R&D projects. Our relationship will now be even stronger!
In addition, the Orange Developer centres in Boston, San Francisco and Vélizy are located within Orange Lab offices.
Find out more about the developer centres and how to book your place >
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France Telecom Group has announced preliminary annual results - mobile service revenues have increased by 5.2%
On December 31, 2006, France Telecom Group had 97.6 million mobile customers in total. The growth in the number of worldwide customers (excluding MVNOs: Mobile Virtual Network Operators) was particularly strong in 2006, with the addition of 12.8 million customers.
The increase in mobile service revenues has been mainly driven by very strong growth in the number of customers.
The countries with strong potential for growth achieved a 32.7% increase in their customer base (+10.2 million customers added), with Poland in particular up +26.2% (+2.6 million).
Growth in the number of customers (excluding MVNOs) in the mature countries of Western Europe also remained strong, up +4.9% (which is +2.6 million new customers), particularly in France (+821,000 or +3.7%), Spain (+813,000 or +7.9%) and the United Kingdom (+475,000 or +3.2%).
At the same time, the number of mobile broadband customers (Edge and UMTS network) more than tripled to 5.8 million in December 31, 2006.
The development of multimedia use (TV, video sessions, music products) and the significant increase in data transmission volumes for mobile broadband services in 2006, generated an 18.4% increase in revenues from non-messaging data services (on a comparable basis).
Get a full breakdown by country – take a look at the press release >
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Whitepaper download – RSS: not just for news anymore
The RSS whitepaper prepared by R&D Boston, a member of the new Orange Labs network, examines how RSS is emerging as a standard for distributing emerging data.
RSS increasingly offers an excellent way to reach mobile users who want the latest information immediately to hand. Consequently content providers can increase their visibility among potential mobile customers by publishing semantically rich RSS feeds.
The whitepaper looks at how mobile users gather content by relying on "widgets" and "third-party services", and represent a new class of context-aware aggregators based around personalised, localised content.
The RSS standard entails a shift away from the "walled garden" approach to networks of content, because customers are demanding greater flexibility to gather content using their own set of networked devices.
This paper also looks at the developments in RSS and suggests new types of applications that rely on a common system of open standards.
Download the whitepaper now >
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W3C/MWI update – find out how to make your website 'mobile ready'
Two new tools to help test how far your site conforms to the Mobile Web Best Practices 1.0
There are now two tools available to check how far your web pages conform to mobile web best practices, in line with the MWI Best Practices 1.0 and the related W3C standards…
1. Mobile Web Best Practices checker
This beta version tool aims to automate "verification of compliance" to the Mobile Web Best Practices 1.0, for a given web page.
It covers 34 of the 60 best practices which can be checked by machine– some of the remaining 26 are still to be added, others need human verification.
2. .mobi's MobiReady Report
.mobi, the global registrar for the .mobi top level domain, is a key sponsor of the MWI, and has been actively involved in formulating the MWI Best Practices 1.0 for mobile content.
.mobi has also released a web page testing tool, MobiReady Report, which is also now available in beta version.
The tool tests web pages for compliance with industry best practices and standards. Test results include page analysis and a 'Mobi Ready score', as well as providing advice on how to overcome problems discovered during the tests.
Get the latest from the MWI and learn more about the tools >
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Music: mobiles practice their scales – final part
The final part in this series of articles on mobile music, brought to you by Orange Badim™, examines the devices and technology that are now available to facilitate music on the move.
Whilst sales of MP3 players and mobiles were once equal in 2005, it's predicted sales of music mobile
handsets will multiply by 7 xs by 2009 compared with only 1.5 xs for MP3 players.
The future is undoubtedly going to see more integration between mobiles, PCs and management of customer libraries.
Find out how mobile phones are adapting with the times, and take a look at technical developments that have enabled mobiles phones to compete with the MP3 players.
Read the full article now >
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Orange Partner Camp, Cape Canaveral, 16-18 April 2007 – registration is now open!
Take one small step to Orange Partner Camp, Cape Canaveral and make one big step for your business!
We're pleased to have launched the registration site for the next Orange Partner Camp.
Yet again, we've kept the price low, at $595 for three days and two nights, together with food and entertainment.
Orange Partner Camp is not an opportunity for us to make money ... as an operator, we need your help to provide our customers with innovative products and services – that's why the cost to you is so low.
Places for the event, as always, are limited, and this will be the only opportunity to attend an Orange Partner Camp in 2007!
Take a look, find out more, and do register now as we're limiting the numbers - www.orangepartnercamp.com >
Who's it for?
It's for those of you interested in finding out exactly how you can work with us (France Telecom Group) in the new converged marketplace.
At this Partner Camp, we'll be focussing solely on commercialisation opportunities, providing you with details of how we can work together, and giving you the technical information and training to deliver.
We've also put together a group of France Telecom Group employees who are responsible for searching-out new concepts and finished ideas, who you'll be able to meet through pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings, group discussion formats, and by entering the Orange Partner Camp contest.
We look forward to seeing you there!
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3GSM World Congress: 12-15 February 2007 - Barcelona, Spain
Visit us within the Orange Pavilion in Zone 6, and check out the Orange Partner demo, where we'll be showing you our latest route-to-market for your mobile apps.
3GSM World Congress 2007 promises to be the most exciting and stimulating yet, reflecting the pivotal point that this industry, has now reached.
You'll also be able to see and find out about the latest technology from Orange and the France Telecom group.
As well as our demo on the Orange Partner stand, Steve Glagow – Orange Partner Director will also be on the judging panel of the GSM Innovation Contest and the IMGA games contest.
Find out more >
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CTIA Wireless 2007: 27-29 March, 2007 - Orlando, Florida
Don't miss the Developers Panel for what promises to be an interesting debate!
At the world's largest telecommunications event, you can find out more about wireless, broadband convergence and mobile computing technologies across the entire industry from network infrastructure to microprocessors to applications to content to end-user hardware.
Consumers want cool data applications. Carriers want profitable ones. The path to the deployment of a successful application, however, is terribly fragmented...
Steve Glagow, Director of Orange Partner, is taking part in the Developers Panel, which will explore the issues facing applications developers, including methods of working with large carriers, as well as highlight some high profile application companies that have been successful in bringing new applications to market.
Find out more >
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Are you reading off of the same page as your fellow newsletter subscribers?
The Orange Partner newsletter is the best way for our partners to regularly keep up with the latest market and technology developments from Orange and the mobile industry.
To help you keep up to date we've collated the top 5 stories and articles from the newsletter and website that were of interest to our members last month (compiled using clicks per page analysis).
***CORRECTION***
In the December edition of the newsletter we featured an article 'European mobile customers – an update on the latest figures'. We incorrectly referenced the figures to 'EMC'.
We'd like to take this opportunity to inform you that the name EMC is no longer used and the company is now "Informa Telecoms & Media". We would like to apologise for any confusion this may have caused.
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We want to hear your thoughts about the Orange Partner Newsletter. Drop us a line at developers@orange.com
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