Staff Reporter

As a result Virgin Mobile will be able to offer its subscribers the ability to search the web WAP sites and Virgin Mobiles own portal and storefront providing access to ringtones games and other content.

Users will be able to search for any content or information using a single search box.

Head of Digital Services at Virgin Mobile Nick White said:

Virgin Mobile is a firm believer that the there should be no limit to the content available for our users so we are very pleased to extend our relationship with InfoSpace into this exciting new area.

InfoSpace Mobile Europe Managing Director George Fraser said: We have been working with Virgin Mobile on mobile content since 2001 so we know what their subscribers expect and demand.

InfoSpace already provides mobile search services for numerous operators worldwide including Sprint in North America.

The survey also found that 54 per cent of UK users were aware of the iPhone although a European launch date and retail price has yet to be announced.

In the US iPhone has signed an exclusive five-year deal with operator AT&T to market the handset. Despite US customers being limited to one operator offering the device 19 million want to buy an iPhone according to the survey.

M:Metrics vice president Mark Donovan said: This data confirms that the iPhone has sparked the imaginations of consumers and is not merely a topic of conversation among insiders and technology enthusiasts.

These figures are very impressive although respondents in the UK were not presented with a launch price or any restriction of mobile phone carrier as in the U.S.

Customers who subscribe to the Skype To Go package are able to register an international number and in returned are issued with a local number to be used as a proxy.

Users are able to dial the allocated number from any phone and are billed through their Skype account in addition the their standard network rate.

The package costs 2.30 euros a month and users have to download the relevant software to enable the service.

Skype vice president of telecoms Stefan Oberg said: With Skype To Go you dont have to think twice about the cost of making an international call from your mobile phone. If you have a friend living abroad you can now talk to him or her anytime and anywhere you want.

The operator will cut the price of its Data Unlimited service from £45 per month to £25 and will rename the tariff Vodafone Mobile Broadband. Users will also benefit from being able to access 3GB of data each month increased from 1GB.

A new 24-hour tariff is also being launched which will enable users to access data in any European country for £8.50. But customers wishing to join the service will need to pay £120 for a data card to access the tariff.

The 3GSM World Congress Asia which is set to take place in Macau in November will now be known as the Mobile Asia Congress. Whereas The 3GSM World Congress scheduled for Barcelona in February 2008 will be called the Mobile World Congress.

GSMA CEO Rob Conway believes the re-branding will emphasise the organizations commitment to providing better services to consumers. Conway said:

Both the GSMA and the Congresses are focused on helping operators use the potent platform provided by todays highly-capable and extensive mobile networks to better serve the many needs and desires of this industrys almost 3 billion customers.

The GSMA has also announced that John Hoffman has been appointed as CEO of GSMC the subsidiary company that runs the Congresses. Hoffman was formerly CEO of mobile technology suppliers Fastmobile and Roamware.

We appointed John to take on this challenging role because he has the in-depth understanding of mobile communications and the commercial acumen necessary to ensure that the Mobile Congresses in Macau and Barcelona remain at the forefront of this fast-moving and fast-growing industry added Conway.

The company is targeting around half a million phones this year. The Blow-It team is headed by configuration expert Paul Harris. He joins TMTI from European Telecom. Harris has experience of working with networks manufacturers and distributors on handset configuration.

TMTI founder Crispin Thomas said: TMTI offers a range of technical support services but until now we weren¹t involved in flashing ­ putting the operating system and customised content on the mobile. We¹ve now gone into that business.

Its a good match for us. After weve flashed the phone with the required software we can pop one of our technical support cards in the box. The TMTI brand will enable us to gain traction very rapidly.

Thomas added: Our pricing will be aggressive. We already work for the major players in the returns field and this can only strengthen relationships with our clients.

Blow-It will be run from TMTI¹s head office in Wiltshire but configuration work will be done at customers premises where required.

The phone which retails for £600 SIM-free is exclusive to Carphone Warehouse for six weeks. It comes with an all-glass front and is crafted from materials like titanium stainless steel and chrome.

Nokia director of communications Mark Squires said: The style and new materials used on this handset have made it unique and it seems to have caught the public interest.

We released it with the intention of bridging the gap between the two markets and it certainly seems to be doing that.

A spokesperson for Carphone stated that while sales figures were unavailable it is selling incredibly well and it expects that trend to continue.

Initial threads have discussed subjects such as European Telecom going bust and if theres a future for independent dealers.

The forum is free to access on the Mobile News website and has sections covering everything from networks to retail.

The forum is ideal for readers to interact. It gives them a place to air their gripes and ask questions to industry insiders said online editor Mark Sennett.

To view the forum simply click on the banner at the top of the page.

It is available on Orange and later on T-Mobile retailing at £338 for a non-contract handset and £50 on a mid-level network contract.

Touch is powered by Windows Mobile 6.0 and utilises a virtual keypad with a finger-touch screen similar to the iPhone and Prada LG.

It comes with 64MB of RAM and 1GB microSD card also included as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth compatibility. It also features a 2.8-inch screen and a two-megapixel camera.

John Wang said: We live in a push button world. Touch is the beginning of the touch-centric experience and in 10 years time we¹ll look back and realise its impact.

T-Mobile managing director Jim Hyde said: HTC is the next big thing. This is a mass market consumer device that will take the industry by storm.