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Telecommunications Vodafone first with 3G BlackBerry
Telecommunications Vodafone first with 3G BlackBerry | Vodafone first with 3G BlackBerry |
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| by Stuart Corner | |
| Tuesday, 01 August 2006 | |
  
It is a quad band device supporting 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS networks so will provide BlackBerry and other cellphone functions when roaming outside Australia. When new dashboard software is released in September, the 707v it will also be possible to use the BlackBerry 8707v as a mobile broadband modem, allowing customers to keep laptops connected to Vodafone’s 3G mobile broadband network. It will sell for $799, including GST. Australia's 3G pioneer Hutchison is focussed on the consumer market and does not have any immediate plans to offer BlackBerry services. Vodafone also introduced the new 2G BlackBerry 7130v which incorporates RIM's SureType keyboard technology. This "merges a phone keypad with QWERTY keyboard to allow a narrower design and enable users to quickly and accurately type messages and dial phone numbers," according to RIM. It sells for $699. Both handsets have QWERTY and a high-resolution LCD screen that supports more than, 65,000 colours. They incorporate intelligent light sensing technology that automatically adjusts the screen and keyboard lighting in response to ambient light levels. Vodafone has also introduced the BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express, software that offers the full functionality of the standard BlackBerry enterprise server v4.1 but which is available free for download and self install to purchasers of the new handsets. This is already offered by Optus and Telstra. The catch is that the free version supports only one client. Upgrades can be purchased for up to 11 licences and beyond that to the full enterprise server. There is a webcast to assist users with installation but for the more technically challenged, Vodafone offers for $350 "the services of a dedicated installation engineer to talk customers through the set-up procedure over the phone." The server integrates with or Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino and or Novell GroupWise. |
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