Kent-based MoCo has appointed a corporate finance company to oversee the sale of founder Maurice Whelans 45 per cent share in the business. />Whelan who turned 65 in October wants to retire from the industry. His brother Andrew Whelan 55 also owns 45 per cent of the business. Managing director Ian Robinson owns the remaining 10 per cent. Both want to drive the business forward with increased financial backing. />Henley-based Harlequin Corporate Finance run by former Vodafone Retail finance director Ian Freeman has been engaged to facilitate the sale of Whelans share and has already approached Carphone Warehouse among others. />Freeman refused to comment upon suitors but said: MoCo has a lot to offer. We are looking for a partner to take MoCo forward in the converged market place which opens it up [to a wider number of potential investors]. We are looking for a partner that can help the business build on the strong foundations established by Maurice. />Carphone was unavailable for comment. />MoCo which has both distribution and direct sales businesses would suit Carphones distribution portfolio. />It would make sense for Carphone because MoCo is a business specialist and [Carphone indirect airtime distribution arm] Hugh Symons concentrates mainly on consumer connections said />a source. />Harlequin is also understood to have sounded out 20:20 backers Doughty Hanson and Anglia parent company Redstone Telecom. />Dangaard/Brightpoint which is looking for entry into the UK via acquisition is also considered to be a possibility although Harlequin is yet to approach it. However sources claimed last week that two foreign companies had been approached. />The guide price for Whelans 45 per cent share would be around £2 million suggested sources. It is understood however that MoCo would consider a substantial bid for 100 per cent of its shares. />MoCo managing director Ian Robinson said: Ideally we want somebody that will help take the business to the next level. />Along with Fone Logistics and EBS we are the only independent distributor left in the market. />With the growth we are experiencing at the moment we want to look for investors with the right expertise to help take it forward. />MoCo said it signed more than 60000 connections and upgrades in 2006 of which more than 60 per cent were to business customers.

An unlocking solution for new Nokia handsets is to be auctioned and made available in the UK for the first time claimed traders last week. It could fetch up to £50000 in a bidding war. />Dejan Kaljevic an unlocking engineer based in Belgrade and revered within the global unlocking community announced to traders in an online forum that a solution for Nokia handsets with BB5 chipsets is ready for sale. The solution is considered to be the Holy Grail among unlocking traders who are turning away huge amounts of business because no unlocking solution is available yet for new Nokia handsets. />More than 20 Nokia handsets run off the BB5 chipset including Nokias latest mass-market devices as well as its high-end Eseries and Nseries phones. />Kaljevic is rumoured to have sold the original solution to China-based unlocking team Rascal for £1 million for a six-month exclusivity period. Kaljevic is now ready to release the solution on to a global market by auctioning it to the highest bidders. />Fone Doctors proprietor Faisal Sheikh said: We spent £40000 trying to develop our own solution and got nowhere. Working BB5 kit would be lucrative. Last year we were in contact with a guy that was negotiating with five exporters that were sitting on 22000 Nokia handsets that needed unlocking. />Another small London dealer said: Its worth thousands and thousands to anybody that got hold of it because there is still no way to unlock the latest Nokia phones. If Dejan put 10 boxes up for auction worldwide he could get £50000 for each no problem. Maybe more. /> Another dealer based in the North of England said: We are turning a lot of business away Â’Â’Â’ probably one in two customers. Dejan could get £50000 for that kit straight away. />Nokia said the unlocking industry is run by criminal gangs and that the BB5 crack may just be a fake auction to raise money for criminal gain. />We have made it as difficult as possible for these guys. Other manufacturers have not been so successful said a spokesperson. />But these guys arent industry-friendly. They are very dangerous and operate in large organised gangs. The whole practice skates on the border of illegality. In the past these auctions have tended to involve criminals. And this might not necessarily be a solution Â’Â’Â’ it might just be an auction to raise money. />Dealers can make £5-£50 by unlocking handsets and argue that with independent retail in decline there is little choice but to offer an unlocking service. One dealer said: The way this industry has gone it is just about all we have left Â’Â’Â’ even the video shop down the road does contract phones. We make most of our money from unlocking now. /> Another source said: Unlocking is the only thing keeping us afloat. />But traders agreed the unlocking industry has become a breeding ground for undesirable elements. />Unlocking developers are software hackers. They take a new phone and reverse engineer it and then sell the solution through resellers in different countries. The networks have buried their heads in the sand but consumers want choice and that means unlocked phones. The networks have created a powerful underworld in the mobile industry.

Chatterbox proprietor Andy Wilson fought off a violent attacker in his store in Wakefield last week after being stabbed in the back with an eight-inch carving knife. />A 26-year-old Wakefield man was charged with attempted robbery and appeared in Wakefield Magistrates Court last Wednesday (April 18). The case has been handed up to the Crown Court and will be heard at a later date. />Wilson was taken to Pinderfields Hospital on April 16 after an assailant stabbed him in his Westgate End store around 5pm. />Wilson said: The inch-deep wound in my left shoulder could easily have involved my spine lung or heart. />As I bent down behind the counter to retrieve a mobile he plunged the knife into my back and I fell backwards. He then vaulted the counter and got on top of me raising his hand which I grabbed. I was extremely fortunate Â’ both to fight him off and take control of the knife. />I could easily be facing the end of everything I have worked for in the past 13-and-a-half years in Wakefield he said. Wilson has since returned to work. />

Orange has overhauled its Impact marketing support fund completely worth £15 per box and passed down the job of allocating dealer funding to distributors themselves. />Dealers face a reduced marketing pay-out as distributors work the commercials as they see fit. One source said: Orange is showing distributors how to work the system. Id rather do the marketing and get the money for it. />To date Oranges Impact funds have been paid at £15 per connection to distributors and at £20 to direct dealers. Oranges direct partners have been paid in cash. Distributors have been required to claw funds back from their marketing spend at up to £15 per connection and then pass it down to dealers at six-month intervals. />But Orange has pulled the £15 deal completely replacing it with a straight £10 payment for each connection and a £5 bonus for marketing activity which they can pass down to dealers on proof of marketing activity in the old manner. />Fone Logistics said in a dealer bulletin that in fact Orange had pulled the old scheme altogether. />Fone Logistics marketing director Julien Parven said: Orange has removed Impact from its standard proposition. They have renegotiated the way they deal with all distributors across the board. Theres a different model in place. Beyond that I cannot comment. />An Orange spokesman said: Orange is not removing funding from distributors but restructuring the marketing system. />Several other distributors refused to comment and described the move as a hot potato.

Police intercepted a shipment of 20000 mobile phones at Heathrow airport at the end of last month. The handsets were suspected to be stolen. />The investigation is being carried out by the National Mobile Phone Crime Unit (NMPCU) and follows surveys of the cargos IMEI numbers. DI Kenny McDonald said 97 of the handsets were considered suspect. />The NMPCU is working with a network to find the devices origin.

Vodafones five pre-pay distributors have signed up to stringent new terms on box-breaking while North-London electrical distributor BDC has been dropped having been warned of the new terms in January. />20:20 Data Select Elite Mobile European Telecom and Swains Â’ better known as a distributor of photographic equipment but also a pre-pay supplier Â’ have agreed to crack down on box-breaking and increase their vigilance around the practice. Vodafone head of channel partnership Alistair Firth said: Weve worked closely with these guys and recognise their ability to reach customers we cant. />It formalises our commitment to that channel and gives our partners a clear view of our expectations. It removes the ambiguity in what were looking for as a network. />The contracts which carry heavy claw-back penalties for box-breaking incorporate new forecasting stock reporting and brand usage as part of their revised terms. />BDC which had its contract terminated on March 1 refused to comment. The Vodafone logo was still displayed on its website at the time of going to press. />Firth said: We saw too much suspect SIM activity from BDC and tried for months to find a solution. It was one of the catalysts but the decision had been on the agenda for some months. We couldnt work out between us how to deliver an improvement in quality. />Firth said Vodafone would review its pre-pay distribution contracts as the need arose and would regularly monitor data from its distributors. />Group director of Data Select parent company Phones International George McPherson said: Weve been working with Vodafone for some time on how to benefit everyone. Its accommodating the fact there is nothing perfect in this world. Last year we were regularly reviewing things with Vodafone Â’ if there was ever an issue we worked within the channel to improve things so were used to working in that environment. />Swains managing director Alan Comer said: It was an issue we were constantly keeping an eye on because its in nobodys interest. />Were hoping to monitor it more closely. For instance with any one who orders a large quantity of handsets that particular order will be investigated. />If we dont take greater care then there will be penalties but were comfortable with that on the basis of the monitoring process we are putting in place. />20:20 CEO Mark Ryan said: Pre-pay business has been very demanding over the years. Vodafones extensive review has resulted in a commitment to work with 20:20. />Elite Mobile managing director Ajay Gokani said he welcomed the contract changes and that it would be business as usual. />In terms of monitoring box breaking he said: Were in a fortunate position in the way we work that we go down responsible channels so its not been a major factor.

Orange has been forced to issue new dealer passwords after a security breach of its Enable online credit checking system. />Orange suspended its system after reports that an unauthorised user had been able to access customer data. />An Orange spokesperson said: We recently became aware a third party was trying to access our sales system which some of our sales channels use to register new customers and upgrade existing customers. We have suspended the system while we investigate the matter further. />The Enable system allows dealers to process customer upgrades using confidential customer information. />

Link Telecoms new Nokia-accredited repair service at its Angel phone store in Bradford has proven a hit with customers processing hundreds of orders since opening in February. />Technical services manager Johann Shepherd said Bradfords first ever Nokia-accredited service centre had established itself well in the community. />Theyre happy its a five minute drive. Its easy access rather than travelling 15 miles to our store in Leeds said Shepherd. The majority of repairs are for software problems or mechanical repairs and we give a lot of technical advice. />Howard Buckle who worked for nine years as an engineer at Link Telecoms Leeds repair centre is in charge. />Said Shepherd: Howard is probably one of the highest level engineers in the UK. His knowledge of Nokia is so extensive he probably knows as much as the techies at Nokia. />Link Telecom runs 14 retail outlets in West and North Yorkshire.

BT launched a new VoIP service last week aimed at SME and SOHO business customers. />The service Office Anywhere allows internet access and free VoIP calls capped at an hour in length using BTs 2000 Openzone Wi-Fi hotspots in the UK and Ireland. The services launch device is the HTC S620 smartphone free for a limited period on contract. />Customers can choose either a 250 or 700-minute bundle. Its three data bundles allow from 10Mb to unlimited downloads from £39.50 -£75.50 per month. Calls to UK mobiles are capped at 25p for up to an hour and International VoIP calls from the UK to landlines are capped at 10p or 20p for up to an hour depending on location. />BT chief of mobility Steve Andrews said: For the past few months we have been trying to incorporate applications and services for our SME and SOHO customers who want to be on the move accessing push email. Its an attractive device and there is clarity of pricing in terms of calls and data. />We also wanted to see if we could give better experiences with broadband and cheaper VoIP. We are hopeful it will take off rapidly. />The HTC S620 includes a QWERTY keyboard and runs Adobe Internet Explorer Microsoft Word Excel and PowerPoint. />Office Anywhere can be purchased from BTs websites and stores.

Avenir is offering dealers vouchers for department store Harvey Nichols in return for Orange business connections. The new incentive rewards dealers for connections to Oranges Business Plus and Business Advance Plus tariffs until June 30. />Avenirs Irish dealer base will be able to redeem the vouchers at Harvey Nichols or Debenhams. One dealer will also win a made-to-measure hand-cut suit from />Savile Row. />Avenir managing director Tanny Price said: This initiative is part of our focus on driving the distributor sector forward in seizing the opportunity of converging technologies. />Orange head of sales and marketing for dealer distributor and mass markets Steve Heald said: It is a creative idea that should inspire participation while communicating a strong business message.