Leveraging its strategic alliance with international partner Vodafone, mobile operator Vodacom has launched its Vodafone live! offering.
Vodacom says Vodafone live! will introduce exclusive global and local content, picture messaging, games, polyphonic ringtones, 3D Java games and video messaging through an icon-based, colour menu on all integrated Vodafone handsets.
The service, powered by 2.5G and 3G technology, will also allow users to make video phone calls and download music to their handsets.
"Vodafone live! is similar to browsing the Internet on your handset, as you can view different pages designed specifically for Vodafone live! handsets, download unique content and get upgrades and alerts sent directly to your handset," says Vodacom COO Pieter Uys.
"Browsing is free and means customers can spend time looking at various screens and discovering many exciting features as well as the best local and international content available, only paying for content that is downloaded."
Uys says the service will be available to both contract and prepaid customers, and all that is required is the correct handset. There are no settings to be configured or numbers to call, all one needs to do is to switch the phone on.
"Through the Vodafone live! portal, subscribers can access services such as news and weather updates, sport, pictures, music and games and a find and seek offering," he says.
Other offerings include Lotto results, horoscopes and news from the entertainment world, while there is also a "what`s new" section that allows users to keep track of the latest developments in the Vodafone live! service.
Related stories:
Phones need simplicity before cool stuff, CEOs say
Vodacom group surpasses 14 million customer mark
Vodacom brings 3G to market as promised
Africa`s future is mobile
Share