Nokia has announced Nokia Advertising Connector and Nokia Ad Service two platforms enabling advertisers and media publishers to connect with mobile.

Nokia Ad Service consists of a group of mobile publishers making up a platform and mobile ad network to deploy and manage advertising campaigns.

It also allows mobile operators access to the mobile advertising model.
A Nokia spokesperson said: Nokia and different ad providers are putting together a package to advertise on mobile devices.

It will be a platform for mobile ads and will be targeted at direct advertisers and media agencies.

Nokia Advertising Connector is a private label service for third party publishers and advertising aggregators which enables targeted ads to be delivered to mobile devices.

Nokia Ad Service will be available globally in the second half of 2007 whilst several pilots will be run on Nokia Advertising Connector in the coming months before it becomes commercially available by the end of this year.

Thompson will take up his new post on October 29 and will replace Tim Sefton who has been appointed O₂ senior VP strategy and development.

Thompson has 13 years of experience in advertising agencies and has overseen successful global launch campaigns for PlayStation 2 Strongbow Ask.com and 3. He was also led the team that created the widely known Guinness good things come to those who wait campaign.

O₂ customer Director Cath Keers said: Gav joins us at an exciting time when O₂ has established its place as the UKs leading operator both in terms of customers and in brand leadership.

I am pleased we have been able to find someone whose experience passion and commitment is a match for ours.

Thompson added: O₂ are clearly the thought leaders in their market space. The opportunity to help shape one of the great brands of the twenty-first century is hugely exciting and I cant wait to get cracking.

Independent dealers have expressed their lack of shock and surprise after 3 implemented another policy change that will affect their customers.

From March 1 new or upgrading customers can no longer downgrade their price plan for the whole of the contracts minimum term but they will be able to upgrade to a higher plan or downgrade to their original.

Its the latest in a line of downgrade changes. From last June new or upgrading customers were free to downgrade at any time. Another change followed where customers could only downgrade after six months of a 12-month contract. Then from November customers could only downgrade after 12 months of an 18-month contract.

The Fone Doctors Faisal Sheikh said while it may benefit the network it will do nothing to improve the opinion dealers have of 3: It makes sense for them but its another change that will annoy dealers and customers. Theyve gone from being lapse to prudent they havent set their stall out effectively so its hard to get back to some kind of stability.

Other indies have also voiced their dismay at 3s policy changes but 3 head of corporate communications Ed Brewster claimed any such move was just a slight tweak.

Nokia and the University of Cambridge have announced an agreement to work together on joint research projects.

It covers the collaboration between the Nokia Research Centre (NRC) responsible for its strategic and long-term research and the University with researchers from both working closely together.

The NRC will be based at a research facility at the universitys West Cambridge site their new science and technology campus.

A University of Cambridge spokesman said: This is a major long-term partnership and will last at least 10 years. It will be the first big Nokia Research Centre in Europe and will be a state-of-the-art facility.

Walkers new role will see 3 amalgamate both handsets and services together into one team. The move is designed to integrate 3s mobile Internet services with its handset range.

3 marketing director John Penberthy-Smith said: Enabling customers to get more out of their mobiles is a fundamental requirement for 3s long term success. Relevant and easy to-use products and services are critical to supporting a more impactful and engaging mobile experience.

Fergal has done an exemplary job since he joined 3 UK earlier this year. He has dramatically improved our focus on handsets. I am delighted that he has agreed to extend his leadership to our products.

Harris replaces Simon Lloyd and starts in October. He joins from agency WCRS where he was involved in campaigns for Orange and O₂.

Harris will be responsible for marketing across Nokias mobile multimedia and enterprise divisions. Head of product management Marcus Dacombe who has covered the role since Lloyds departure reverts to his old role.

Phones 4U board directors Tim Whiting Phil Dobson and Jim Slater spent a week at the Fareham Phones 4U branch Hampshire at the end of last month as part of its annual Back to the Floor programme.

The Fareham outlet was Phones 4Us best-performing store in Q4 2006. This won its staff led by manager Chris Howells a week in Prague and Phones 4U CEO Whiting COO Dobson and marketing director Slater picked up the slack.

Phones 4U CEO Tim Whiting said: It is very important for us to spend time working in our stores. Talking to our customers understanding their needs better and living through the challenges faced by our in store teams is invaluable. It reinforces what a fantastic job they do.

Vodafone’s Warner deal extended to live Madonna concert stream

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said last week that it may investigate a network sharing agreement between Vodafone and Orange.

An OFT spokesman said: We have to assess whether this constitutes a merger and whether sharing a network would lessen competition within the market.

Vodafone and Orange announced earlier this month they would enter an arrangement to maximise 3G coverage and save money through shared network management.

Vodafone CEO Nick Read said: The proposal will enable the two companies to remain vigorously competitive against each other.

Orange CEO Bernard Ghillebaert called it a common sense approach to network rollout and management.

Flint took up the role in June 2004 and during his tenure he has seen Sony Ericsson rise to become the worlds fourth largest phone manufacturer.

In this period the company has increased its increased from 27.2 million units in 2003 to 74.8 million in 2006. Flint has also been credit for establishing Sony Ericsson as trendy manufacturer of camera and music phones.

Flint will be replaced on November 1 by Sony Ericsson USA chairman Hideki Dick Komiyama. The new president will relocate to Sony Ericssons London offices and Flint will stay on as his executive advisor until the end of December.

Commenting on his departure Flint said: After nearly 17 years in Sony and Sony Ericsson I wish to develop new personal and business opportunities and intend to take a short career break before deciding on my next steps.

Leading a major mobile handset company which is also a joint venture between two of the worlds great companies has been a wonderful and rewarding experience.

I believe that together we have in place very firm foundations for the next phase of Sony Ericssons growth and I wish Dick Komiyama every success in his new role.