But the Mobile Data Association said dealers and distribution channels were not emphasising the benefits of the whole gamut of messaging services.

Because SMS is so pervasive different companies are using SMS in so many different ways. It is also no longer a preserve of youth. Older people are more readily using the technology said MDA chairman Mike Short.

There are still plenty of opportunities for growth. In the early 1990s dealers set up voicemail for SME customers themselves. They dont always apply the same attention to WAP and SMS.

Short also said that MMS would replicate the success of SMS when the penetration of MMS-enabled handsets matched that of SMS handsets.

Pricing is a factor though not a barrier he said. But it is becoming easier and more consistent all the time.

MMS growth is happening rapidly even though were not releasing figures yet.

The study shows that many young people now prefer to chat flirt make dates – and even end relationships – by text rather than mobile talk e-mail or landline.

The study was based on a sample of more than 1000 people aged between 11 and 21 years old

It shows that text messaging is used by 89 per cent of young adults at least once a day with more than half using it at least five times a day.

Around 55 per cent of those young adults polled have sent a text message to chat someone up with 40 per cent using it to make a first date. And when things start to go wrong 34 per cent of boys and 23 per cent of girls use it to end a relationship.

Of the sample audience 77 per cent said they cannot bear to be without their mobile phone and said that owning a mobile phone made them feel more secure.

Nearly a quarter of the sample surveyed have used their mobile phones to contact friends or family during an emergency or to make 999 calls.

In the fashion stakes wearing a mobile on your belt was regarded as a no-no for three-quarters of young people. More than half would never keep their phone in a special mobile pocket in their bag either. Instead most chose to keep their handset in their pocket.

Dunstone said BT was now under threat from both TalkTalk and the Post Offices new HomePhone fixed-line venture.

We dont regard the Post Office as competition but welcome them into the fight against BT our common enemy Dunstone said.

Simon Carter head of marketing at the Post Office commented:

BT still owns 70 per cent of a 340 billion market. It has been opened up for several years now but BT remains dominant because customers either dont know or dont trust the new entrants. That is different with the Post Office which is a company that instills confidence in the customer.

Clearly the incumbent in any market has the advantage but there are clear opportunities for the likes of TalkTalk and us to take customers away from BT.

This is the figure quoted in the final notice by liquidators Hacker Young to 18 creditors of the failed company started by Euro Cellular boss Win Donaldson.

Not only do creditors not get any payout but Hacker Young has been unable to daw its fees of 9853 because the company went down without any debtors from which to recover any funds.

A VAT repayment of 21854 has been offset against other statutory debts to the Department of Social Security and Redundancy Payments Service.

Mad Box Media had big plans to produce MTV-branded polyphonic ringtones screen logos and games on branded MTV 2Go cards through 20000 retailers.

It was described by the company as one of the biggest content deals in the industry.

This was followed by the launch of a multi-million pound advertising campaign for the products but the idea never took off and the firm went bust in March 2003.

Vodafone is currently testing the Silver Phone on behalf of its MVNO venture BT Mobile.

Charities and workers unions are also testing the device as a lone worker solution.

The Silver Phone made by an unnamed Swiss manufacturer has three large coloured buttons backlit and embossed for customers with impaired vision and a built-in loudspeaker phone for customers with impaired hearing.

Its three buttons correspond to three pre-programmed contacts. The emergency services can be contacted by pressing the red button twice. Contact numbers can be changed by contacting customer services.

A Communic8 spokesman said: Vodafone is very close and hopefully BT Mobile will be on the box as a result. Vodafone is already selling the product in Germany and Orange is selling it in Holland.

It is important because it is a growth segment of the market that is completely ignored by the main handset manufacturers.

Communic8 is also looking to fit an anti-radiation device the size of a penny to the phone.

The technology claimed Communic8 was developed by the Russian Space Agency and adapted by a company in Silicon Valley.

Following the Stewart Report into mobile phone safety in December Communic8 was forced to pull its MYMO handset from the market.

The spokesman said: Were looking to box it with an anti-radiation device. We have taken the Stewart Report very seriously.

Our follow-up research has convinced us the industry knows far more than it admits and that the conclusions of the Stewart Report are very serious indeed. We will be the first UK handset provider to fit a technology chip based on bio-technology from the Russian space agency on every device we sell.

The issue of radiation is going to get bigger and bigger. I have seen some of the latest reports and studies from across the EU and it is pretty damaging.

This is the way forward and we believe we will steal a march on the competition.

The Silver Phone is currently available online for 29.99 on contract and 139.99 on pre-pay.

This is the finding of a poll of 2000 UK consumers which suggests people are confused by hard-to-use mobile services. This could deter them from upgrading to 3G.

Around 41 per cent of people quizzed were confident that 3G phones and services would be easy to use. But only four per cent planned to upgrade to a 3G phone.

The survey also highlighted gender differences. A sample of 48 per cent of the males were confident 3G services would be easy to use compared with only 35 per cent of female respondents.

The survey was comissioned by Netonomy which provides systems enabling people to manage their accounts online.

The bulletin said:

The Nokia 6820 version 4.x was found to contain bugs that prevented it from supporting BlackBerry. A short-term network fix was implemented enabling the Nokia 6820 to work despite its bugs. On this basis T-Mobile continued to support BlackBerry on the 6820. This solution will no longer be supported.

Stories that T-Mobile was experiencing problems with the BlackBerry service on the 6820 first emerged last month when Mobile News was contacted by dealers complaining of a glitch.

One told us:

T-Mobile was selling a BlackBerry-enabled device the 6820 to many customers at the back end of last year. All of them were less than chuffed to find on December 20 that

T-Mobile took the e-mail service away from them.

They were particularly upset that T-Mobile didnt give them any warning. The first thing customers knew apparently was when they no longer received their e-mails.

T-Mobile had denied there were any problems however.

Which is just as well as 3 is letting Bedders fans upload her BRIT-tastic tune five weeks ahead of its main release. There is a catch though – they have to be 3 customers.

Daniels lil sis who was obviously not prompted by a 3 spin doctor said: Im excited that my videos have been so popular with 3 customers and I hope they enjoy watching I Bruise Easily as much as I enjoyed making it. Not alf as much as we enjoy watching it Nat.

Isis mobile data account director Andy Arnold said Isis was so impressed with Reply Mail which is manufactured by Reply Wireless it is offering customers a free trial.

Usually companies pay an an initial set-up fee and a 20 monthly subscription plus usage for each user.

Reply Mail works on any mobile network said Arnold. Like BlackBerry it synchronises with Lotus Domino and Microsoft Exchange mail servers. However it is compatible with Pocket PC Palm OS devices and Symbian phones so customers dont need to invest in new equipment.

Isis is sending information about the Replay Mail device to more than 130000 Palm subscribers.

This is not about us looking for a replacement for Blackberry it is about us expanding our portfolio. There is still a lot of scope for BlackBerry Arnold added.

Isis based in west London was judged one of the countrys fastest-growing companies in a recent

Sunday Times report.

Miles is currently managing director of Vodafone New Zealand.

Vodafone Group CEO Arun Sarin commented:

In New Zealand Tim has led one of the most successful operations within the group.

He is a talented and respected manager. He is very well-placed to execute the strategy that Bill Morrow and his team have put in place.

See Whats in whats out? page 16