The show is Channel 4s top-rated programme. Ericsson says the Frasier audience profile closely matches its own target audience and that its audience research indicates Frasier viewers are more likely to purchase an Ericsson phone than another brand.

The sponsorship gives Ericsson four commercials around the show.

There are three new commercials which will rotate over the next 21 episodes. They feature the familiar Ericsson strap-line Make Yourself heard.

Until now text messaging has only been possible between customers restricted to one network.

Weve been calling or such an interconnect agreement between UK networks since we launched text messaging almost five years ago and I have been instrumental in making it a reality claimed Oranges chief operating office and group director of UK operations Bob Fuller.

Over the next few months Orange customers will find sending text messages to customers of other networks phones as easy as sending text messages from their own phone.

Orange expects the introduction of text messaging across all the networks to increase and usage and uptake of the service.

Like Vodafone which recently launched a series of campaigns aimed at boosting SMS usage in the youth and pre-pay markets.

Orange has been working to raise the awareness of text messaging with bill stuffers and explanations in its customer magazine.

Vodafone has been trialling SMS interconnect since April 9 and will offer cross-network SMS connection from early May.

The network says in the past six months SMS messaging on the Vodafone network has increase by more than 350 per cent.

As an introductory offer the cost of sending a message from an Orange phone will be the same regardless of the network the message is sent to. Prices depend on Talk Plan and start at 4p a minute.

The system is from Dataview Solutions and uses maps from the AA and postcode data as well as information written for Orange.

Extra information can be added such as places of interest planned coverage or known repairs scheduled on the network.

Orange says it gets up to 100000 calls a day into its customer service centres.

The new stores are on Princess Street in Edinburgh Buchanan Street in Glasgow and Union Street in Abderdeen.

The interiors will be decked out in striking interiors designed to reflect the Nokia brand image.

The stores are unlike any other type of mobile phone store in Scotland claimed DX boss Richard Emanuel.

In addition to the full range of Nokia products and accessories theyll offer connections to all four networks.

Emanuel says the Nokia stores are part of a pan-European programme and will offer Scottish consumers a completely new dimension in mobile phone retailing

Added Nokia marketing manager Alison Brolls:

The stores will service the countrys growing number of Nokia users.

As it turns out Ericsson has taken a totally different approach. One that is likely to be greatly welcomed by the small independent dealers. Unlike Nokia which teamed up with The Carphone Warehouse last year to launch a flagship store in Londons Regent Street

Ericsson has turned to existing dealers and given them the chance to have their own stores rebranded with the Ericsson name.

Vijay Anand channel marketing manager for Ericsson who explained a little bit more about the concept and the plans for the future.

Anand was proud of the fact that these new retail outlets will not be competing against dealers but that Ericsson will using them to further promote the Ericsson brand.

While others have written off the small dealers we realise just how important they are to our whole business. This concept has not only been formed to maximise customer awareness but also to develop new and innovative ways to work closer with loyal dealers.

This is something that Ericsson has always been proud of and they do not seem to want to change this.

Over 100 stores will benefit from the five-year association with Ericsson which includes bright illuminated shop signs window displays in-store promotions and point of sale.

The name of the dealership will stay the same and the individual identities and layout will still be under the control of the owner. The scheme is also nationwide with an initial roll out of 10 stores for; Scotland North West North East East Midlands West Midlands Home Counties North London South London South East and South West.

The various regional managers who regularly visited stores throughout the country chose the initial stores that were signed up. The criteria included how loyal the dealer was to Ericsson sales of Ericsson products over the last three years attendance at dealer events road shows and other in store promotions.

Although stores who are signed up must meet a certain criteria the conditions are not as tight as one might expect. While Ericsson will look at existing sales figures and loyalty to date they will also look at expansion plans and how keen a dealership is to promote Ericsson in the future.

Even Ericsson would admit that some of their more recent products have lacked the same flair as the competition. So its not unreasonable to expect some dealers may not have wanted to push their products as vigorously as the rest.

Catching up with Nokia and Motorola has however been top of the agenda and Ericsson seems to be doing a pretty good job following the massive line-up shown at CeBIT last month.

Anand stressed It is important that the dealers know about Ericsson products. Which is probably why Ericsson regularly host dealer events and set up an online web site for dealers only.

Dealers who are not associated with this scheme are still able to benefit from the online Ericsson Partner Network so all is not lost even if getting signed up may not be possible straight away.

Dealers who are lucky enough to be signed up are not committed to exclusively selling Ericsson products either. They can connect any phone on any network. Obviously Ericsson is hoping that with so many new and exciting phones being released this year from Ericsson (T18 T28 A1018 R250 R380 and the MC218 organiser) this is the perfect time to start promoting the Ericsson branding in advance.

The actual cost of rebranding each store wasnt revealed clearly as it will vary from dealer to dealer. Planning permission from local councils has also been a slight problem for some dealerships. Although it is only a matter of paperwork to get this sorted out.

Ericsson plans to operate this partnership for at least the next five years demonstrating Ericssons commitment to the independent dealer channel. Anand added: We did not want to compete with dealers but work with them. By using existing dealers we are not attacking the very people that create so many sales for us.

This is something that many feel Nokia did when they opened a store in the West End that managed to sell some products that other dealers couldnt even get.

The campaign is designed to make business travellers aware that they can use an

Orange (dual-band) phone in more than 85 countries.

The first phase of the promotion started last week and will run until the end of April. It will continue in the summer and be extended to target leisure travellers at holiday-flight airports Luton Gatwick and Stanstead. The emphasis will return to business travellers in the Autumn.

The campaign is to raise awareness of Oranges international roaming capabilities and help us change perception amongst business travellers that Orange is the best network to meet their needs around the world said Orange chief operating officer and group director of UK operations Bob Fuller.

The creative theme of the campaign uses travel images mixed with Oranges style.

So one backlit poster shows orange jet trails coming out of a black sky.

Orange claims it was the first UK digital network to enable its customers to make and receive calls with a dual-band phone on every available digital network in the European Union.

By the end of the summer Orange expects to be able to offer roaming on at least 180 networks in 93 countries and by the end of the year 200 networks in 100 countries.

The new man is Huw Evans who joins European Telecom from NEI Group a medium-size producer and distributor of consumer electronic products and white goods based in Eastern Europe.

Before NEI Evans was finance and business strategy executive to the main board of Fujitsu-ICL preceded by 14 years at Rank Xerox.

He is a qualified chartered accountant and Oxford graduate.

We are delighted that Huw will be joining our team. He brings years of experience of financial management and stewardship within the international public company arena which will be of great value to the future development and growth of European Telecom said chairman Warren Hardy.

The Cellular Service Providers Group (CSPG) of the Federation of Communications Services says such cuts would be an important step in opening indirect access by SPs to the networks.

It is in the national interest to maximise traffic across the mobile telephone infrastructure by facilitating indirect access as well as service provision says the CSPG

In a submission on Oftels competition document the CPSG says the market power of the four networks restricts competition and pushes up consumer prices.

The CSPG disagrees with Oftel that effective competition is developing and says competition is being eroded by the reduction in the number of service providers.

The Group wants the networks to provide airtime at the same wholesale rates to independent SPs as they do to their tied SPs adding service providers have continued to provide service and retain customers despite unfair competition.

Mohammed Aqeel (23) pleaded guilt at Southwark Crown Court to attempting to handle stolen goods.

Three other men (Mohammed Faruk Shah Alam and Shabir Mohammed) were cleared when the judge ruled the prosecution had failed to prove a conspiracy.

Aqeel intended to get the Irish Phone Company to supply him with phones on credit. He gave the details of a genuine and reputable company but changed the phone and fax numbers and claimed delivery should be made to a fictional East London warehouse.

But the Irish Phone Company suspected a con and helped set up a police trap by delivering a bogus package stuffed with pieces of wood.

Aqeel and the three acquitted men were arrested when the delivery was made to the address Aqeel gave.

Healy will now be chairman-elect for the year 2000/2001. Healy was also elected the chairman of GSM North America the North American Interest Group of the GSM Association in April 1998. In North America there are 17 companies providing GSM service to more than 3 million customers in nearly 3000 cities in 44 U.S. states the District of Columbia and four Canadian provinces.

Prior to joining Cook Inlet/Voicestream PCS LLC which he has managed since its formation in 1995 Healy was in charge of engineering and operations of McCaw Cellular Communications Wireless Data Division.

He began his career in sales and marketing positions at New York Telephone. In 1982 he joined Northern Telecom Inc. in Dallas Texas as national manager for industry marketing and the next year became director of sales – cellular systems. Healy is a founding director of the Wireless Information Networks Forum a founding director of the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) and a Fellow of the Radio Club of America.