The new dealer bureau will provide smaller operations with a 48-hour turnaround repair service progress report procedure and customer care product range.

Dealers will also qualify for attractive rates on second-hand phone stock to enable them to offer replacement handsets on a short-term loan basis.

Many small dealers are damaging relations with customers by failing to provide a fast replacement or repair service said Intec sales and marketing director Charlo

Carabott.

They are needlessly returning handsets to manufacturers for repair which can take weeks rather than days.

Virgin says it has its own version of WAP written into the SIM card rather than the handset and that this will allow Virgin Mobile customers to access specific internet content from its site such as train time tables ticket information TV listings and music.

The service will be introduced within the next three months.

From the middle of this month Virgin Mobile will also be introducing a full e-mail service similar to the one already on offer from its joint partner One 2 One.

Customers will have an in-box and out-box on their mobile screen and will be able to send and receive messages equivalent to up to 400 lines of A4 type.

Conventional SMS restricts messages to 160 characters or less. Email addresses can be stored on the SIM.

There is also the facility to see when file attachments have been sent.

Virgin Mobile customers can already use the web to download up to 200 contact names and numbers from their PC.

Contacts are stored on Virgin Mobiles web site sent to the phone and stored on the SIM card.

And in a thinly-veiled dig at Oranges WAP phone Virgin Mobile MD Tom Alexander said:

Unlike some other mobile networks which equip only their premium-priced handsets with the most advanced technology we value all our customers and have put the UKs most powerful (32k) SIM card as a standard feature into each of our phones.

It will bring to 37 the number of GMCs MPC shops in Essex Kent Sussex Cambridgeshire Lincolnshire Norfolk Suffolk and Midlands.

The disposal of our retail arm allows us to focus on the core areas of our business that provide the greatest long-term opportunities said MoCos managing director Andrew Whelan.

GMC says it is now one of the top five independent dealerships in the UK.

With 37 stores and more acquisitions planned we are gradually becoming a major player with 5000 connections a month claimed GMC managing director Graham Cornhill.

GMC is projecting a turnover of 14 million for its current financial year and will be employing more than 140 staff.

Vodafone has also created a WAP Directory which will contain a list of latest sites which are accessible to customers with WAP compatible mobile phones and devices

New partners include: WHSmith On-line (for buying books and CDs and accessing content such as bestseller lists quizzes and educational reference material) Affinity Internet (games and electronic wallet and payment mechanisms) Psion and Paragon Software (synchronisation services to manage personal information transfer between desktop handheld devices and mobile phones) Independent Digital and BBC (news and sport) Warburg Dillon Read (financial news) OAG (air and travel schedules) and the Met Office for weather reports.

Our partners will enable us to bring richer content and services to Vodafones interactive and WAP customers commented Paul Donovan Vodafones commercial and marketing director.

This is the beginning of a major shift in internet access from the fixed PC to the mobile phone. With the advent of m-commerce later this year customers will have a shopping centre at their fingertips.

The Vodafone WAP Directory provides a direct click through from WAP mobile devices to any of the sites listed. The sites are listed by category and will include a wide range of independent sites as well as Vodafone and Vodafone partner sites.

WAP services developers and companies world-wide are currently being offered free registration to the Vodafone WAP Directory.

Ian Germer head of Vodafone UKs internet services said:

The directory will help make our customers aware of the world of information available to them through their mobile phones as well as encouraging third parties to develop WAP compatible internet sites and services.

He is Tim Mundy who moves from Telford automotive company Sonner Alibert.

MPRC currently fixes 23000 mobile phones a month. It says 85 per cent of these are returned to customers within 24 hours.

The company which employs 110 staff recently became authorised by French manufacturer Sagem to service its phones on the One 2 One network.

It claims turnover has increased from 25000 in 1996 to 3.5 million last year.

A five-judge court is now hearing the appeal Doyle and Meteor are trying to have the pro-Orange decision reversed. The action has been heard over the last three weeks.

Last years Orange-initiated action lasted 50 days resulting in a 247 page reserved judgement which prevented the ODTR from issuing the licence to Meteor Mobile.

The judgement noted that the Directors decision was objectively biased and unreasonable.

This meant the licence either had to go to to Orange (with Meteor Mobile threatening to sue the Director) or a re-run of the application process had to be carried out

Justice Macken had also ruled that Doyles failure to give Orange adequate reasons for the licence refusal was wrong in law.

There was no auction process during the first stage a set price of IR 10m had been agreed and only Meteor and Orange had indicated they wished to proceed.

In another case in Dublins High Court Meridian Communications is claiming that ircell was intent in putting it out of business by not allowing it to act as an airtime reseller.

Additionally Meridian is claiming that ircells actions are due to it wishing to maintain its dominant position within the Irish cellular marketplace.

Cellular 3 and Meridian are seeking damages from ircell due to the threat of ending a VDA (Volume Discount Agreement) for airtime that was resold to customers of Cellular 3.

The action before Mr Justice OHiggins is expected to last a month.

Cellular 3/Meridian are claiming damages against ircell for abuse of its dominant position and breach of contract. They also are seeking a declaration that ircell should be prevented from terminating the VDA for airtime.

In court counsel for Cellular 3 claimed that their business was suffering cash-flow problems due to difficulties with the ircell billing system. This prevented them billing their own customers for airtime used.

ircell allegedly delayed the issuing forms and transferring subscribers from ircell to Cellular 3.

ircell rejected the claims accusing Meridian of using the Court to provide a network of telecommunications service for which a licence is required. ircell is claiming that the action should be dismissed by reason of this alleged illegality. The case continues.

The two companies also plan to work together to identify and create services for financial institutions and network operators.

Motorola will install 724 Solutions software in its internet-enabled phones and other wireless communications devices.

They will also collaborate on identifying and relating products specifically for banks brokers and network operators.

Motorola has also bought an equity stake in 724 Solutions.

Motorola is committed to offering consumers a secure and simple solution to performing financial transactions via their web phones. Motorola is excited about working with 724 Solutions to bring consumers and network operators a world-class financial solution said Motorola Personal Networks Group senior vice president Janice Webb.

The new service called Guide@Michelin will make it possible for users to access Michelins database of 60000 addresses on mobile phones using WAP.

The Red Guide from Michelin Travel Publications is one of the foremost guides to European restaurants and hotels. It is known for its star award system. The service is based on Ericssons Location Based Information Services platform and can use Ericssons Mobile Positioning System for the positioning coordinates.

Users can search their immediate area for a Michelin restaurant according to style price and comfort opening hours culinary specialties reservation information etc.

The service even gives them a route description showing step-by-step how to reach the restaurant from their current position.

After providing travel information to users in their home office or car through web services or navigation CD-ROMs Michelin Travel Publications together with Ericsson now extends their services towards mobile phone users. More than ever our aim remains to offer to tourists and travellers the right information at the right time and the right place says Vincent Pilloy of Michelin Travel Publications.

Nokia Visa and MeritaNordbanken are using WAP with infrared and Bluetooth to enable customers to purchase either on-line or at the actual shop by using their WAP phones. The system integrates the mobile internet with a reliable credit card payment.

Mobile handsets are transforming into multipurpose tools enabling users to make calls connect to the internet and make purchases with the added benefit of knowing their payments are authenticated and secure commented Pertti Lounamaa vice president at Nokia Internet Communications.

The co-operation with MeritaNordbanken and Visa on dual-chip technology demonstrates that the involvement of leading payment associations will drive forward customer acceptance of electronic mobile payment services.

Security is guaranteed by user authentication and digital signature.

Regulatory Type Approval of the Bluetooth Module hastens mass market acceptance of the Bluetooth wireless technology into future mobile and other devices.

Regulatory Type Approval Two must be carried out before a manufacturer may release a product with the Bluetooth wireless technology on the market.

The product must first comply with the required Bluetooth Specification to make sure it works with other products with the Bluetooth wireless technology.

This Specification has been drawn up by the Bluetooth SIG (Special Interest Group) and agreed on by the Bluetooth Adopter Group made up of 1400 leading computer telecoms and other companies. A manufacturer must also obtain Regulatory Type Approval from the country where it wants to release a Bluetooth product.