The network is keen to gain broader access to the non-specialist market and supply management business Comment offers a configuration customisation and service solution to retailers such as Woolworths WHSmith Littlewoods and Sainsburys.

Comment has similar deals with LG Sagem and Alcatel.

Comment managing director Michael Richardson said: Our aim is to help Sony Ericsson develop direct relationships with major retailers.

The Lancashire-based firm has teamed up with Vodafone to offer contracts of up to two years with optional handsets. Resellers can offer as much as 17.5 per cent discount against Vodafone retail prices. They will also be given marketing assistance and the opportunity to brand the offering under their own business name.

Resellers will receive up-front commission and retention bonuses for customers who then reconnect. Daisy is also negotiating a proposition with T-Mobile.

The distributor increased its focus on business connections last year in response to network demands of the dealer channel. This year it has introduced measures like network business specialists and a dedicated business team to support the initiative.

Dextra airtime sales director Angie Simpson said: We really started to focus more on B2B connections last year and now have a lot of building blocks in place to develop the offer. We had a blank canvas in B2B and the opportunity to do things well.

Simpson added the introduction of O2 and Orange business specialists would give essential knowledge and training to independent dealers.

B2B can seem like a minefield but knowledge is the ultimate sales tool she said. We introduced a dedicated internal business team with account management and sales and data support. The support team play a massive part in what the dealers do.

Kilmer stars alongside regular duo Mr Dresden (Brennan Brown) and Elliott (Steve Furst) who inevitably end up upsetting the Holywood star.

Kilmer follows a long line of stars in the ads including Patrick Swayze Ewan McGregor John Cleese and Steven Seagal.

The new six-month project called The Search is similar to its mobileAct Unsigned competition for new bands which it is running with Orange around its music-orientated Walkman devices.

The photography promotion splits the entries into categories with monthly prizes for each category winner. Celebrity photographers will also set challenges.

Monthly category winners will go head-to-head for the title of Cameraphone Photographer of the Year and entry into Sony Ericssons global competition.

A gallery exhibition of the best entries will also be staged. Cameraphone users can upload images to the Sony Ericsson website.

Sony Ericsson UK and Ireland managing director John Harber said: The cameraphone is spearheading a photographic revolution.

The K810i features a 3.2-megapixel camera and is on sale already. The HSDPA-enabled K850i has a five-megapixel camera and launches later this year.

As an extra promotional tool Sony Ericsson has counted public votes on the most iconic photographs of the past 30 years.

Images of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York the 1982 Falklands War and Diego Maradonas hand of god goal against England in the 1986 World Cup all ranked highly.

Mobile News understands Vodafone has sounded out certain manufacturers about such a scheme with potential revenue share arrangements meaning manufacturers would cut handset prices to networks in return for a cut of the users spend.

One source close to Vodafone said: The networks are constantly talking about revenue share with manufacturers internally. But nothing ever happens because the manufacturers wont allow it.

A manufacturer source said: One network has mentioned it offline. There is certainly nothing concrete and no manufacturer wants it.

Nokia UK managing director Simon Ainslie told Mobile News Nokia had no interest in cutting its prices. Ainslie said: The operators are always pushing for us to reduce prices. But the three years of development that goes into a device is never captured in these discussions. If youre going to lead breaking technology someone has to pay for the research and development.

We prefer people to pay good money for our products. The N95 has got more power and capability than a laptop. So its not in our interest to see prices cut and products being given away in that sense.

Ainslie added the complexity of such an arrangement would deter Nokia.

Another manufacturer source said:The UKs subsidy model already means expensive goods are devalued in the eyes of the consumer. The last thing manufacturers want is this to be eroded further by revenue share.

Manufacturers argued revenue share would only benefit the networks and they would prefer to retain the current pricing structure. There is no extra value to be had in such a deal. It is a win-lose arrangement said a source.

Manufacturers want arrangements that will build businesses. It doesnt add up and nothing is going to happen.

But a source close to Vodafone said the networks would not back down: The networks have cut costs everywhere through strategic partnerships and the renegotiation of deals with distributors and retailers. But their relationships with the manufacturers have gone unchanged. The manufacturers dont want change. But the pressure from the networks on them to do so will increase.

Meanwhile O2 is rumoured to have negotiated a revenue share deal with Apple for the iPhone which it is widely expected to get the exclusive rights to in the UK. Online retailers are already listing the iPhone on O2. But O2 maintained reports linking it to the iPhone were rumour and speculation.

From today Nokia customers in 11 countries that have S60 devices will be able to access Windows Live Hotmail Windows Live Messenger Windows Live Contacts and Windows Live Spaces. From next year the services will be available on Nokia Series 40 handsets.

The new services can currently be accessed on a free trial but customers who continue to use the service may be asked to pay a monthly fee somewhere down the line.

Microsoft senior vice president of the online services business Steve Berkowitz said:

The availability of Windows Live services for Nokias devices demonstrates our commitment to delivering great mobile experiences and extending peoples online lives taking it from the PC to the device.

The alliance will enable a much broader group of consumers to experience the benefits Windows Live has to offer easily connecting them to the information and people that matter most from virtually anywhere.

The callers Skype ID when available will be shown and their message converted to SMS and delivered to the Skype users mobile phone.

SpinVox chief executive Christina Domecq said: This is a powerful example of how SpinVox is enabling leading Web 2.0 services to extend their reach from PC to mobile.

Its also proof of our ability to integrate our technology with any existing service platform whether fixed-line cable or wireless and now internet calling.

SpinVox said it expects to reach six million subscribers by the end of 2007.

Last week Carphone dismissed talk of a buy-out as speculation but have since confirmed that a deal has been struck.

Mobiles.co.uk was founded in Watford in 1995 and turns over in excess of £9 million per year.

It is the only online retailer to have been granted entry to Oranges Federated Dealer Club.

Last year it overhauled its content management system and website. It offers instant online credit checking decisions across all five networks and connects direct with Orange O2 3 and T-Mobile.

Carphone shut its OneStop PhoneShop online retail operation last month.

Nokia has several suppliers who collectively produced more than 300 million BL-5C batteries but the batteries in question were manufactured by Matsushita between December 2005 and November 2006.

So far there have been over 100 incidents of overheating reported worldwide. To prevent further problems Nokia is urging all of its customers that use the BL-5C battery to return them for a free replacement.

Nokia communications director Mark Squires said: We have issued this advisory becasue reliability and quality is our top priority. During this period we appreciate the continued support from the millions of customers who use Nokia phones around the world.

For further information about how to return the affected batteries please visit the Nokia website via the following link