Talking Ads is an interactive call response business set up four years ago and generates 2.5 million a year in call revenue.

PNC Tele.com will pay 1.4 million cash on completion and 1.4 million in shares ( 2.20) with a further 100000 two months later and another 4.1 million paid half in shares depending on future profit performance.

PNC Tele.com is also buying for 50000 cash the customer services base of Arena Online Services a subsidiary of Arena Leisure (subject to a one-year earn-out).

Both acquisitions are effective businesses that complement our existing operations and have substantial scope for further expansion said PNC Tele.com chief executive Geremy Thomas.

Our partnership with ITIS demonstrates our commitment to providing a comprehensive range of wirefree multimedia services to meet the needs of our customers said Orange chief operations officer Bob Fuller.

However Orange has been criticised by shutting off access to many other web sites from its own portal (see P40 P54 P56).

Orange is selling the 7110e for 129.99 with no charge for access to multi-meida services until the end of January.

After that access to WAP will be part of a customers monthly call allowance and 5p a minute after that.

ITIS was set up in 1997 as a provider of telematics services and travel-related information.

It provides real-time information updated every 10 minutes for specified routes.

Personal mobility has always been high on our agenda and the launch of the new handset has enbaled us to provide this service. We are delighted to be working with Orange and look forward to further developing and enhancing the range of services offered through the network said ITIS chairman Stuart Marks.

The company Red Message has been set up by two ex-executives of Swedish mobile phone operator Telia.

The idea is for businneses to link customers to their own web site or call centre to hand sales and service transactions via a GSM phone.

Users log into www.redmessage.com register and add and delete the web sites they want to retrieve information from.

Red Message is operator independent so the service works for any GSM subscriber on any network as long as their phone supports text messaging.

Increasing mobility among the European market has led consumers to demand information is sent to them wherever and whenever liberating them from their PCs said Red Message marketing director Steven Yurisich.

The potential value for any business with an online presence to gain access to almost half the UK adult population through an immediate effective and mobile medium is explosive he added.

Red Message will develop services based on WAP phones when they reach the mass market.

They are Somchul Rashid (Which Mobile 23 Green Lane Ilford Essex) and Peter Kubis (The Phone Inn 21 Crewe Road Sandbach Cheshire). Rashid and Kubis have undertaken to comply with the Rules of the Scheme. The FCS says it has been satisfied that steps have been taken to do so. Anyone in the industry is now free to trade with Rashid and Kubis subject to the Rules of the Scheme.

Ericsson will own the majority share of the new company and will provide its Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) technology to Microsoft and adopt Explorer for future WAP phones.

The joint company will focus on solutions that use Microsoft Windows NT Server and Exchange platforms and Ericssons infrastructure and mobile Internet technologies.

The mobile Internet is part of Ericssons vision of convenient and user- friendly information access and wireless e-mail said Ericsson president Kurt Hellstrom

Bringing together Microsofts strengths in Internet and enterprise messaging software and our leadership as an open communications solutions provider of mobile voice and data will offer tremendous ease of use for consumers all over the world.

Microsoft president Steve Ballmer added:

Mobile Internet access and services are crucial for realizing Microsofts vision of empowering knowledge workers and consumers through software any time anywhere and on any device.

This partnership is a strong confirmation of our commitment to help the industry deploy new mobile products and services worldwide. Microsoft and Ericsson will also collaborate to support WAP and Bluetooth applications.

Nokia will implement Java technology in the Psion EPOC operating system based smart phones and communicators.

The first products to support Java technology will be available next year and will offer additional mobile internet features. Users will be able to retrieve Java applications over the mobile network using WAP.

Woolworths is improving its customer service performance on mobile phones with a new service to give staff access to network information.

Called The Central Hub the service is based in Woolworths distribution centre in Castleton near Rochdale.

Around 30 operators have access to a database of product information made available to 30000 staff in Woolworths 800 British stores.

In the first week of its operation more than 1000 enquiry calls were made by Woolworths staff with 45 per cent of these calls from sales staff needing more information on mobile phones.

Consumers have always found choosing mobile phones confusing and difficult so we are not surprised that such a high proportion of calls have been on the subject said Central Hub general manager Richard Walmsley.

Before information was available on the Hub staff had to rely on finding someone in the store who knew about mobile phone tariffs and networks (see P40).

Orange won the Award for Wildfire the voice-activated service that can take messages place calls and store contact details. WIldfire is a product of US-based Wildfire Communications and claimed to be Europes first intelligent voice-activated mobile phone service.

It was launched by Orange in mid-July following trials with over 5000 Orange customers.

Orange also won the category for Best Use of Company Website Award and was one of only two companies to win two awards and the only company to be nominated for four categories this year.

Orange CEO and group managing director Hans Snook commented:

In the future many services will be operated by spoken commands and keypad entry will seem old-fashioned and cumbersome.

Wildfire is yet another step on the road to Oranges vision of a wirefree future when your voice will be the keyboard and mouse Snook added.

Wildfire has also been activated in France by Bouygues Telecom.

The Awards were presented at the Telecom 99 show which took place in Geneva earlier last month.

It has now been recognised by the independent institute that carried out the tests that their procedures were fatally flawed and led to a wholly inaccurate set of results being obtained said Philips Consumer Communications marketing manager Tim Mashman.

No Philips mobile phone exceeds any international or local radiation standards.

Customers of the banks personalised banking service Open Plan will be able to run their accounts regardless of network by using their phones to dial-up their Internet service provider at their usual call rates.

The first group of customers are to be offered a free Nokia 7110 WAP-compliant phone with one years service contract in return for taking part in a market research programme. They will be able to check balances on all of their Woolwich accounts (including mortgage and unit trusts) move funds between accounts view current and investment account statements pay bills and issue instructions. The knowledge gathered as a result of this exercise will be used in planning the roll-out of the service to all Open Plan customers.

John Stewart group chief executive of The Woolwich commented:

I am delighted that Nokia has chosen us as its partner and Imconfident that our customers will find this service superior to any other mobile phone banking offer that is on the market