Azzurri fulfilled a number of selection criteria including a quarterly target for data connections a clear data strategy with dedicated service staff and customer satisfaction strategies.

O₂ head of indirect partners and business mobilisation David Plumb said: Our senior managers are working together much more closely now. Azzurri is clearly a big player in the convergence market and a really important partner for us. O₂ is now training Azzurri sales people to sell data applications and solutions. This is a huge investment for us.

Azzurri mobile sales director Simon Price added: Having re-focused our sales team to be more data-centric we are now witnessing the results with excellent penetration of data services to new customers as well as our existing customer base.

O₂ launched the Data Centre of Excellence in January to integrate experts in mobile data with the needs of SME and corporate customers. Members will gain access to marketing support as well as training and data specialist support.

HTC executive director Paul Ghent said last week that he expects sales of touch-screen handsets to rocket in 2008. HTC recently launched its Touch handset with touch-screen functionality.

Ghent said: The device has been selling very well even though O2 decided not to take it on in the UK. However it has sold extremely well in Germany. Already were seeing exciting development in touch-screen technology and I predict 2008 could be a massive year for it.

HTC will release more touch-screen products this year.

This week Iain Graham and the team debate whether the new Carphone Warehouse upgrade policy good news for the industry.

There are also reviews for the Alcatel OT C-825 handset and Map24 Mobile software.

All the latest Mobile News headlines are also discussed so this is one edition you wont want to miss.

To listen to the latest edition of the Mobile News podcast click here.

Amer Razwan Munir who traded as Talkland Telecom Ltd from Unit 8 Broughton Trade Centre Broughton Lane Salford was convicted in December and jailed for seven years. He was also disqualified as a company director for nine years.

Munir (32) has now been issued with a confiscation order of£ 5.6 million which he must pay within 12 months to stop another seven years being added to his jail sentence.

Munir bought phones VAT free sold them on and reclaimed £6.8 million in VAT. The Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office and HMRC officers traced his numerous properties and illicit business transactions.

Assets traced included a £164000 Aston Martin £500000 in overseas account loans of more than £500000; a £6500 Rolex and a personal vehicle number plate valued at £4500 as well as numerous properties in Manchester and Dubai.

Customers who join Orange Broadband inside PC World stores will receive a free laptop worth £300. The laptops include a 40GB hard drive a Celeron processor 256MB memory and a 15.4 Widescreen display. The broadband package will cost £14.99 a month and users will receive a download speed of up to 2MB.

Higher specified laptops are also available to customers who connect to Oranges 8GB broadband service. Anyone who signs up to the £19.99 service will receive a £350 discount on any PC World laptop.

PC World marketing director Niall OKeeffe said: The chance to have a free laptop is an amazing offer that is sure to tempt thousands of customers to sign up to Orange broadband through our stores. Orange broadband is already highly competitive with one of the lowest monthly tariffs on the market. I am sure that the inclusion of a free laptop will electrify the market.

Yesterday Ofcom revealed proposals that will force mobile operators to transfer numbers within two working days by April 2008. The regulator also outlined plans for instantaneous transfers which would be in place by September 2009.

3 CEO Kevin Russell has welcomed the plans but he believes operators should implement instantaneous number transfers within 12 months. He said: This is good news for UK consumers. Letting people move their number to a new network quickly and easily will encourage competition and greater choice. These changes will bring down prices for all UK mobile users.

However we think that the proposal which gives the industry over 26 months to implement these changes when it could easily be done in 12 months is unnecessarily generous. The current porting system is letting down UK consumers and there must be a greater sense of urgency to fix it.

From July 3 Carphone will stock the Curve 8800 and Pearl devices to be connected on either O2 Orange and T-Mobile.

Carphone UK chief executive Andrew Harrison said: Were extremely excited about this relationship which we believe will take BlackBerry smartphones beyond the boardroom and into the handbag.

Carphone Warehouse is the worlds largest consumer retailer of mobile phones and through this partnership we aim to bring the benefits of BlackBerry smartphones to all.

Redstone Mobile will continue to offer the services provided by Anglia Telecom but will also offer a business desktop for PCs fixed line VoIP IP networks/converged solutions and storage area networks.

Redstone Mobile managing director Dave McGinn said: Some people will obviously miss the Anglia Telecom name but were viewing this as becoming part of something much bigger and better something which will benefit our dealers both in the short and the long term.

Our customers will still be able to get that unrivalled service with Redstone Mobile that theyve been used to with Anglia Telecom. Were not aware of anybody else in the independent dealer channel that can offer the product and service portfolio that we now can.

Ogden joins as UK channel director of retail while Whicheloe is the new channel director for virtual network operators and networks.

Ogden spent 15 years in sales and marketing roles at Nokia UK. At Brightstar he will be responsible for providing distribution services to retail customers throughout the UK. Whicheloe has spent 10 years in the industry.

Their arrival follows the news that European Telecom head of sales Colin Sarratt has joined the company as sales director.

Dextra Solutions has signed an exclusive deal with mobiles2go to supply the i-Kids child safety device in the UK. />The i-Kids product marks Dextras first foray into the provision of telematics products. The agreement covers fulfilment and distribution through all major channels. />Dextra Solutions managing director James Browning said: i-Kids is an innovative device that will allow our partners to benefit from new markets and increased revenues. The agreement underlines our ability to provide suppliers with a single distribution point that delivers effective and comprehensive routes to market. />i-Kids features a one-touch emergency button and GPS functionality to enable parents to trace the whereabouts of their children. Kids can reach a parent or guardian by pressing a button which automatically speed-dials four pre-programmed numbers in sequence until the alert is answered. In the unlikely event no-does the call is diverted to the i-Kids 24-hour service desk where a trained operator can offer assistance. />The device only allows children to call the four pre-programmed speed dial numbers. And while children can receive text messages and calls from parents on their i-Kids device they are not able to send text messages or engage in any communication that isnt authorised by their guardian. />Parents can also pinpoint the location of their child to within 10-20 metres by carrying out a real-time trace using their mobile or PC.