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March 2008 |
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hello ...
Spring has arrived here in London. The daffodils are blooming, the sun is shining and the Easter bunny is about to start hopping – which heralds the season for Camp – Orange Partner Camp – that is!
We've an amazing Camp planned for you on April 14 - 16th, in Faro Portugal. We've a great line-up of Orange "have to be there" camp councillors, from Yves Tyrode who runs our Technocentre, to Herve Payan, who looks after the Content Division, Matthias Hilpert from the Group Devices team, Thomas Kohler, Pascal Thomas … and that's just in the Opening Pow Wow!
At this Camp you'll be able to meet with more Orange/France Telecom people then you've ever met before at our Camps, and the three days of attending workshops, networking, coding in the mash pit, making business, and partying will make it easy to meet lots of new friends and business associates. |
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And what subjects are we covering? I'll leave that to you to find out from www.orangepartnercamp.com; the programme's just been uncovered, so take a look.
Our Platinum Sponsor, Access, will also be there to discuss how you can work with them, along with all our other sponsors.
In February, I spent a week in Barcelona at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), where I had the opportunity to meet with many of you. Innovation was the theme and there are some great new and vibrant technologies being developed.
We're at the cusp of major change in our industry, thanks to the innovation coming from the developer community. I am working through the information you provided, and we'll be getting back to many of you individually. By the way, the GSMA (the industry association who host the MWC each year) will also be attending Partner Camp.
At MWC, Orange made a few announcements (the Nokia MOU, the Device Accelerator Programme). More information on these announcements is included in this newsletter.
I look forward to meeting with you at Partner Camp. I know it is cliché, but as many of you were disappointed last year when we ran out of space at Camp, I encourage you to register as soon as possible to ensure a place.
On a personal note, our editor of this newsletter, Cypriana Mavrokordatou is leaving us and this is her last newsletter. Cyp is moving to Athens, something she has always wanted to do. We wish her the best of luck in her new endeavours!
Best regards, Steve Glagow |
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6 brand new APIs – free to use now
Check out the new APIs in the Developer Play zone and start using them now.
We've just opened six Personal APIs, free for you to use, and in alpha mode.
Why Personal? Because they allow your users - who are also Orange France customers - to access their Orange personal services directly from your web application.
What will they bring to you? Increased conversion rate, qualified contacts, boosted traffic, a good user experience for your consumers, and much more…But have a look at what your users can access just with a simple click of a button:
- With the Authentication API, simplify access to your website for Orange France users by allowing them to use their existing Orange account credentials, and also use it if you wish to use any of the other Personal APIs.
- With the Personal Calendar API, your users can check their availability by accessing their calendar directly from your website. You can also provide a convenient way to create reminders directly from your website to their Orange calendar.
- With the Personal Profile API, your users can access their Orange profile information from within your web application. Web forms can quickly and automatically be filled in, so you minimise losing users through lengthy purchase processes.
- With the Personal Contacts API, your users can add contacts to their Orange address book. With just one click, they can also fill your webforms with the details of their contacts.
- With the Personal Messages API, your users easily access their messages from within your application. In the near future, they will be able to check not only their emails but also their SMS, MMS and much more.
- With the Personal Photos API, your users can access their Orange Photo albums within your application - anywhere, anytime
Want to know more? Go to the Developer Play Zone where you can subscribe to the Personal APIs (alpha), and come along to Partner Camp where we'll give you one-to-one support.
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Orange Application Shop – find out what's selling?
Camera FX has been the Top-Selling application for four weeks in a row!
The Application Shop has been live in the UK for a while now and we're soon going to be able to start sharing with you detailed sales trends. For example, we've noticed that many of our sales are happening overnight…food for thought on what kind of applications would sell well?
Last month, we told you about some new Application Shop categories and devices aimed at business customers, for which we need your applications. We've received a great response, so thanks, but please keep them coming.
We're also looking for different language versions of apps (French, Dutch, Romanian and Spanish) as we launch the Shop in further European countries in 2008. Plus, applications that run on Windows Mobile are being sold in the Shop.
To help you gauge an understanding of the types of products that are proving popular amongst our UK customers we thought we'd share with you the enormous success of the CameraFX application.
CameraFX is an imaging tool for your phone which allows photo images to be captured and manipulated in real-time.
The application features a 10x digital zoom camera with lots of added features to enable a user to manipulate an image, such as red, green, blue adjust and grey inverse colour modes. It also has a 'highlight' colour mode, adjustable brightness and contrast and more…
Users can adjust and save the captured images to the PhotoAlbum or send them via IR, BT, Email and MMS to friends.
The application has been a great success, so if you've got a downloadable mobile application that you think could be a 'top-seller', submit it to us now.
(For a limited period only (until 31st March) you can send us details of your application and if we like what we see we'll fast-track it through our usual submission process.)
Fast-track your application now >
Find out more about the Orange Application Shop >
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Fast-track your apps (limited period only) – until 31st March 2008
You have until the 31st March 2008 to fast-track your apps in to the Orange Application Shop.
Provide us with a quick summary of your downloadable mobile application and you could go to market within a matter of weeks.
Submit details of your standalone downloadable mobile app, we'll review it and if we think it will sell, we'll speed you through our usual submission process. If necessary, we'll also help you with your industry standard and Orange Compatibility testing.
In just a few short weeks your application could be available to over 15 million Orange customers in the UK alone.
Fast-track your app(s) now >
All submissions will receive a response within ten working days.
If you need to be reminded about the benefits of the Application Shop take a look at the section on our website >
If, once you've fast-tracked your app you'd like us to hand-hold you through the commercial and technical steps from submission to launch face-to-face, you can join us at Orange Partner Camp, Faro 14-16 April 2008.
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Symbian – what's new? Get the latest figures on device distribution, new developer publications and more…
As one of our key alliance partners and a sponsor of Orange Partner Camp, Faro we've put together a medley of 'what's new 'from Symbian.
Latest figures on device distribution
In 2007, 77.3m Symbian smartphones were shipped to consumers worldwide, which represents a 50% increase on 2006 (51.7m).
68 mobile phones based on Symbian OS commenced shipment in 2007 through 250 major network operators by 8 licensees including Fujitsu, LG, Mitsubishi, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sharp, and Sony Ericsson.
A Handbook for Mobile Development
If you're a Symbian games developer then you'll be interested to know that this – just published – handbook covers various areas of mobile games on Symbian OS.
There are contributions from a number of experts in the mobile games industry, including Nokia's N-Gage team, Ideaworks3D, and ZingMagic, as well as academics leading the field of innovative mobile experiences.
Symbian sessions at Orange Partner Camp
If you're a keen Symbian developer then don't miss the Symbian session at Orange Partner Camp. At the Symbian stand and throughout the event you'll be able to meet with Symbian representatives face-to-face, bounce off ideas, get help with your development and more…
See the full Symbian resources on the Orange Partner website now >
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3 new device specifications – view and download now
See the device specs that we've just published on the Orange Partner website
LG KF600
The new LG KF600 has taken a leap from the ordinary, using InteractPad technology which incorporates a touchscreen that dynamically changes according to the application the phone is running. The KF600 also features a 3 megapixel camera, 240×320 QVGA main display, EDGE and GPRS, USB 2.0, FM Radio, Bluetooth and a media player.
Sagem my220x
The Sagem my220x in gold is a compact and ultra-stylish handset with a golden touch: the gold trim, gold disc menu button and funky backlights on the keypad really makes this phone stand out. The Sagem my220x mobile phone weighs 65 grams and is 10mm thick. The screen is a simple 128 x 128 pixel CSTN panel in 65k colours.
Sony Ericsson W380i
The W380i is a Sony Ericsson Walkman® music phone with easy-touch music controls and it comes with a stylish clamshell opening mechanism. It features an FM Radio, Bluetooth, USB 2.0 and 1.3 megapixel camera, and comes complete with a 4 x digital zoom.
Take a look at the full range of device specs available on the website >
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Download the latest figures – Mobile and 3G bases worldwide
Read through this article by Orange Badim which gives you an insight into the global mobile telecoms market.
According to initial estimates by Informa, there were more than 3.2 billion mobile customers worldwide at the end of 2007, providing growth in the global mobile base of more than 6% in one year.
Markets in the Middle East and Africa region, which posted 41% growth, made a major contribution to this global rise. So did the Asia-Pacific region (up 27%), in which Informa includes the heavyweights of India and China.
Given the penetration figures, it's safe to say that nearly one in two people worldwide had a mobile phone at the end of 2007...8% of which had a 3G phone.
Download the full article and get the stats and breakdown of W-CDMA vs EV-DO customers globally >
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Download article: 2007 – Widespread use of Web 2.0 kicks-off
Read through this article by Orange Badim and get the latest stats and trends on the use of widgets and social networking across Europe.
No longer a niche tool, widgets - or applications installed on a variety of locations including office computers, webpages and social networks - enable access to information and services without the intentional viewing of the source site.
According to Jupiter Research, 68% of US Web users aged 18 to 34 use them. What's more, the widget penetration rate is 40% in the US (compared with 24% in Western Europe and 10% in Asia).
With regard to social network users, there are some major disparities between different European countries. Whereas 21% of British web users visit a social networking website at least once a week, just 10% of Germans do the same.
The main reason for these differences is language. British Web users are reportedly more inclined to access US English content than their European neighbours. As a result, most social networking players have grasped the need to launch local versions of their websites.
Download the full article and get the full breakdown of users across European countries >
If you're interested in finding out more on both these areas, why not join us at our forthcoming Orange Partner Camp in Faro and we'll tell you more. We'll be looking at both these topic areas in detail and showing you how you can use our APIs to create mash-ups and widgets with Orange.
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Download article - Customisable aggregation portal usage kicks off in Europe
This article by Orange Badim provides you with information, including the latest stats, on customisable aggregation portal usage across Europe.
Aggregation portals offer a private homepage where users can decide on the content and format, examples being Netvibes, My Yahoo and Bubbletop!
According to Forrester Research, just 17% of European Web surfers are regular users of these portals. In addition, a large number of Web users don't know they exist (22.9% of those surveyed) or have not been encouraged to use them (51.8%).
There are also varying degrees of adoption across various countries. Germans, Dutch and Swedes don't find this method of information access sufficiently relevant. However, Spaniards (8.6%), Italians (8.5%) and Brits (6.9%) regularly use these portals. Meanwhile the French are the most inclined to make them their default homepage (4.8%).
Download the full article and find out the recommendations to perpetuate usage of these portals. Also get the full figures by European country >
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Orange and Nokia partnership – offering value-added services
The Orange Partner newsletter is the best way for our members to regularly keep up with the latest market and technology developments from Orange and the mobile industry.
The announcement was made at the Mobile World Congress in February.
By combining Orange's marketing, customer and service expertise and Nokia's strength in device development and integration, we'll extend the way our customers use and enjoy their mobile handsets.
In addition, Nokia will continue to support the Orange Signature device strategy with common applications.
The Orange Signature Series portfolio includes a wide range of Nokia handsets. Within the Signature approach, we select and tests the best applications, define suitable tariffs, a user friendly interface plus integrated billing and customer support.
As a converged operator, it's our strategy to become a leader in advertising solutions for mobile, internet and IPTV across our footprint.
Read the full press release now >
Also, you might like to know that representatives from the Orange Group Devices team will be present at our forthcoming Orange Partner Camp in Faro. One of the areas they'll be focussing on is the Orange Signature Device strategy.
So if you'd like to meet them face-to-face, find out more about Partner Camp and register now >
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First Open Linux handset from Orange – a new era for mobile Linux
We've joined the foundation to Mobilise Linux (LiMo foundation) and we're preparing to launch our first Open Linux handset – the Samsung i800.
At last month's Mobile World Congress we announced our entrance into the LiMo foundation which will foster industry collaboration and a new future of exciting mobile services for our customers.
To underline this significant move we'll also be launching the Samsung i800, a fully open, Linux-powered handset, which will be available to customers later this year.
This is a significant stride for Orange in open source innovation and demonstrates how we're truly delivering on our commitment of mobilising Linux technology.
In recognition of our pioneering role in mobile Linux innovation, Orange was
invited to join the LiMo Foundation as a Founder Member; an honour reserved for very few new entrants.
In this governing role, we'll bring a wealth of mobile Linux experience to the organisation, alongside companies such as Motorola, NTT DoCoMo and Samsung, which share the common goal of accelerating the delivery of the first truly open, Linux-based operating system for mobile devices.
Find out more – read the full press release >
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Orange Partner Camp 14-16 April 08 – see the event programme
We've just published the first draft of the event programme. Find out what's in store at the event next month.
We're busy fine-tuning the event programme so that it truly reflects what's worked well for you at past events, whether you're coming at it from a commercial or technical angle.
Take a look at the website and see how the programme is shaping up. It will be split into the following areas…
What we need …
We need lots of products, enablers, services and ideas …in lots of different areas. We'll outline what we're interested in, in a series of 30 minute sessions.
Navigating through Orange…
Is it a minefield? No. We're a large company with many different requirements but it's not a minefield – especially if we help you navigate through our business, providing you with lots of technical and commercial support along the way.
A technical insight into…
Whether you're providing solutions for Orange or you're interested in getting an understanding of where we're heading 'technically', this area is for you.
We'll cover mobile technology, Livebox technology, developments in Fibre to the home (FTTH), mobile application testing requirements, testing initiatives and programmes, Operating System developments, device developments and much more…
An insight into…
We'll provide you with an overview of areas that you might be interested in, but perhaps have not considered before. Neither overtly technical or commercial, these aspects of working with Orange are very important and shouldn't be missed.
Discovering and developing with …the Orange APIs
Since we provided you with a sample of our APIs (within the Developer Play Zone) we've received a massive and positive response.
Partner Camp will herald the official launch of our APIs and we'll be holding over 6 hours of interactive sessions and workshops to help you develop applications, mash-ups and site integration tools, using the APIs themselves.
There'll be a 'mash-pit' within which we'll provide one-to-one technical support and commercial inspiration, and, of course, prizes awarded to the best applications, mash-ups and widgets you develop.
Let's network socially…
Social networking is tipped to be an industry phenomenon and we've developed a number of social networking sites, tools and opportunities for you get involved in.
And so – in true 'bar camp' style – we've come up with a few subjects we'd like to discuss with you. Come along and give us your thoughts.
See the full Orange Partner Camp website, find out which sponsors have already come on board and what we've got in store for you to help you meet the right people at Orange and France Telecom Group - find out more >
Remember if you're interested in registering, we'd advise to do it sooner rather than later to avoid disappointment. Place are limited and we'd hate to disappoint you!
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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 members 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).
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