Staff Reporter

Vodafone is offering customers free voicemail WAP access ringtones and graphics Footie on the Fone Vizzavi text alerts and the chance to try SMS Trivial Pursuit free for the month of January.

The company raised 9.4 million a year ago through a listing on the AIM stock exchange in London. Some of which was used to finance a manufacturing facility in North Carolina which has been given Nokia approval to manufacture replacement fascias.

Chairman John Pither said orders of 500000 were 227 per cent ahead of plan and that the company had won a licensing deal with Coca Cola to put the Coke brand on mobile phones and computer peripherals.

Comeleon says its Interactive Design Studio which allows consumers to upload images to the internet to be placed on to phone products and delivered to them has been adopted by Siemens and Virgin Mobiles websites.

His appointment is part of a management restructure following a multi-million pound commitment of finance from a private investment group late last year. Vanguard managing director Paul Crossman left the firm last month (Mobile News January 27).

Called the Virgin Mobile Payment Plan it it is available in 29 branches of V.Shop for all phones worth 129.99 or more.

Participating branches include Yeovil Weston Super-Mare Dunfermline Gosport Ayr Rugby Letchworth Haywards Heath Bromsgrove Bishops Stortford and Braintree.

Customers can buy a second handset and accessories after an upfront payment of 10 per cent.

For example a Nokia 3330 would require a deposit of 12.99 and 11 equal installments and the Siemens SL45 a deposit of 29.99 with 11 similar installments.

This new service from Virgin Mobile will allow everyone to own the very latest desirable mobile phones with no hidden charges or clauses and no interest to pay. Were planning to roll out the service to all our V.Shops early in 2002 said Virgin Mobile director of corporate affairs Steven Day.

In another development Virgin Mobile customers will be able to save more than the cost of a months calls by paying their bill with the new Virgin credit card to be made available next year.

So said Virgin chairman Sir Richard Branson who announced the Virgin Card. It is being produced in partnership with Virgin Money and MBNA Europe.

The Virgin Card will bring together the main elements of the Virgin group under one roof through a customer rewards scheme.

As well as being redeemable against Virgin Mobile bills users will be offered rewards on all of Virgins core products and services from flights to mobile phones.

The card and the rewards scheme will be backed by a 7.5 million marketing campaign.

MBNA Europe Bank is part of MBNA Corporation which has more than 50 million customers worldwide.

The 109 Go Blue PC Card enables users to gain access to email and the internet with a Bluetooth-equipped mobile phone.

The card also enables dial-up networking electronic fax transmission and the automatic synchronisation of PDAs mobile phones and desktop PCs.

The major handset manufacturers have already released five different Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones and the PC Card is compatible with all of them said TDK Systems managing director Nick Hunn.

TDK is a founding member of the Bluetooth Consortium.

She has full management responsibility for the Federations activities including its interest groups across the UK mobile and fixed telecommunications sector.

Five years ago Brookes took on the co-ordination of the FCS lobbying programme that led to changes in the Telecommunications Act and introduced stricter penalties for fraudulent activities.

Commented FCS chairman Jonathan Clark:

Jacquis new appointment within the FCS reflects the high regard she is held in by the mobile communications industry and our key government contacts including the Radio Agency and the DTI.

Her new appointment offers FCS members the means to capitalise on her 12 years experience serving their interests by providing her with a wider remit to boost membership and strengthen FCS contacts at all levels within our industry.

Diffin was the only member of the original Phone People management team to make the transition to a new organisation that was financed by a new team including Dr Simon Berrisford and Mike Bahbout.

Wells (41) has held various marketing and sales directorships with companies such as House of Fraser Cadbury Hasbro Courage and Marstons Breweries.

He set up his own consultancy six years ago advising on strategy and business development to a broad base of clients including Nomura Littlewoods and Interbrew.

Wells has already reviewed all of Phone Peoples operations and commenced a restructuring programme that will refine business systems internal communications and further define management roles and responsibilities.

Phone People is at stage where it has re-established solid trading on the high street regained consumer confidence and forged some extremely lucrative deals with partners such as One 2 One Orange and Virgin Mobile he said.

Wells is planning a new corporate image for Phone People.

Were operating in a tighter and more efficient fashion but we now need to make it our paramount concern that the brand communicates this sharper more sophisticated approach. From our corporate appearance through to the ambience within each store the branding has to spell out that Phone People is a forward thinking and truly customer-centric retailer.

Diffin and commercial director Scott Forbes walked out of Phone People in March last year when it was being run by directors Jason Pickthall and Amjad Baig.

Diffin returned to the company in July from his job as sales director of Manchester service provider Yes Telecom after administrators HLB Kidsons sold Phone People to new backers for 3 million.

Prosecutor Tim Chittenden offered no evidence against Akpabio but said the Crown Prosecution Service would recharge him at a future date.

Akpabio (25) of Axford House Harder Rise Chelsea was discharged on a total of 51 charges of theft and false accounting.

He had been accused of stealing a total of 2750 in sums of between 50 and 150 in a three-month period between December 9 2000 and March 10 2001 at The Orange Shop in Oxford Street London.

He was also charged on numerous counts of falsifying receipts by pretending they had been signed by customers.

The case had been due for committal to the Crown Court for trial but the Crown Prosecution Service did not have its papers together.

The phones accessories and support are being supplied by Affinity Telecom which is also providing ringtones and logos.

Affinity Telecom also offers Tinys customers a dial-up credit top-up system which bypasses the usual top-up vouchers.

Other services provided include telephone customer support and a 48-hour fulfilment guarantee.

Packages on offer are Ericsson T68 ( 39.99) Trium Mars ( 49.99) Nokia 3310 ( 89.99). The website also offers the Siemens C35 ( 79.99) Ericsson T20 ( 89.99) Nokia 3310/3330/6210/8210 ( 89.99 to 189.99) Motorola T250 ( 129.99) Sony T250 ( 199.99).

All phones come with 2.50 worth of free calls. A further 2.50 of free calls follow when the customer has successfully registered the phone.

Affinity provides own-label internet and telecom services to major brands including WHSmith Powergen The Royal Bank of Scotland and Egg.

The company was founded in 1995 and employs over 200 people in Europe Africa and Australasia.

Tiny last year sold more than 400000 PCs in the UK.