The computer called the ToughBook 27 is currently being tested within the Vodafone Manufacturers Accreditation Programme which is supported by more than 40 phone and computer manufacturers.

Panasonic is the first PC vendor to had adopted Vodafones end-to-end managed wireless philosophy said Tony Riley sales and marketing director for Vodafones mobile data and messaging products.

Corporates are insisting on service agreements guaranteeing levels of networks service and providing GSM products of outstanding quality and reliability is the only way forward.

Panasonic PC marketing manager Richard Walters added:

We are committed to delivering the highest quality data solution for our customers. We expect the network to be able to perform to guaranteed levels of service.

The match between Arsenal and Manchester United raises funds for charities involved with football.

One 2 One has nominated the English Federation of Disability Sport to receive funds from this years game.

Last year Arsenal beat ManU by three goals to nil.

Cable & Wireless will provide fixed network services including a virtual private network call management and managed PBX services.

Vodafone will provide the mobile voice services covering 3000 handsets and apply the technical hook-up to allow these to become desktop extension phones.

The three-year contract will integrate three Scottish & Newcastle business units and connect the groups entire user base across the UK.

The organisation has been modernising its private network system too and until now has never combined its fixed and mobile services.

This project will not only provide sophisticated telecoms solutions for Scottish and Newcastle but will also give them flexibility to employ on-site single phone services and interchange their usage of fixed and mobile services said Vodafone Corporate managing director Jeremy Forward.

Vodafone and C&W announced last April their teaming agreement to together offer corporate customers fixed and mobile services.

The period of grace which expires on August 15 buys Iridium time to continue talks with creditors and investors about restructuring debt in the face of a massive shortfall in targeted revenues and subscriber signings.

It takes time to reach consencus among the players in any restructuring effort said Iridium chief executive officer John Richardson.

The grace period allowed along with the extension of our bank facility gives us time to concentrate on reaching a suitable arrangement for the on-going commercial operation of this company.

Iridium is in the process of negotiating with Motorola other strategic investors representatives of its high yield bondholders and its bank creditors to develop a mutually acceptable plan to restructure the capitalization of the company.

Iridiums new strategy includes airtime price reductions of up to 65 per cent rate for international calls.

The final figures were released last Friday (July 23).

Ericsson warned in March that profit would fall in the first half. It has also said it expects a drop in 1999 earnings per share from operations hurt by costs for job cuts and new products as well as sliding phone sales.

There is still strong demand for its infrastructure equipment and Ericsson is winning most of the orders for networks based on GPRS the new technology that boosts the capacity and speed in mobile networks.

Two weeks ago Sven-Christer Nilsson was ousted as chief executive because he was too slow to implement Ericssons cost-cutting programme aimed at slashing more than a 10th of its workforce.

Chairman Lars Ramqvist took back the helm fuelling concern that a turnaround in Ericsson earnings wouldnt come soon and prompting analysts to cut their estimates.

For too long the growth of the European paging industry has been inhibited by internal wrangling said ERMES MoU Association chairman Zsolt Pakozdy.

With its two main bodies united technical developments can be implemented more quickly and stronger marketing initiatives can be undertaken. I expect it to have a significant effect on the growth of paging in the coming year Pakozdy said.

EPPA chairman Jacques Couvas said the merger of the two rival groups would take paging markets forward by introducing the services needed to attract new customers and maintain the current user base.

Wimbledon-based dealership DVH which trades under the Straightalk name is sponsoring British karate expert Paul McManus at the World Karate Championships in Philadelphia next week. McManus the third Dan Black Belt will be defending his world Championship title for Weapons Forms against 30 rivals.

This boosts the companys total accommodation by 22000 square feet to a total of 43000 square feet and will house a new 180 bench repair workshop customer care finance human resources administration logistics parts and a new training department.

Existing premises in Moxon Street Barnet will now be the processing sales and distribution base.

Intec was set up four years ago with 25 staff. It now has nearly 200 and is planning to double this within the next 12 months. It is now processing over 25000 handsets a month for most of the major UK mobile phone dealerships

Intec is projecting the processing of between 60000 to 80000 handsets a month within the 18 months said Intec founder Harry Ramis.

As the pre-pay phone market also continues to expand preparations for post-sales services by dealers is proving more crucial as disappointed new owners of handsets will naturally expect them to be repaired as quickly as possible.

The call was made at Siemens UK research and development centre Roke Manor Research.

CDMA is to be established as a worldwide standard for third generation phone also known as the IMT-2000 UMTS standard.

Roke Manor was originally set up in 1956 and is now owned by Siemens. It employs more than 300 engineers.

Siemens is currently working with NEC to develop UMTS predicts. The two organisations have set up a joint venture called Mobisphere to develop infrastructure and handsets for the next generation.

Siemens says that over the short term third-generation mobile phones will not replace all existing networks.

Instead the initial phase will be marked by a smooth transition from todays GSM networks to the new technology.

Siemens predicts that 3G networks will be first established in city centres with high subscriber numbers and usage density.

The existing GSM networks will continue to complement the mobile communications provision for a transitional period of five to seven years as far as coverage and voice services are concerned Siemens predicts.

Siemens and NEC are already supplying a UMTS system to Manx telecom which plans to launch early next year.

This follows the decision by the Isle of Man government to allow Manx Telecom to have a 3G licence for the island. Initial Manx 3G handsets will use NEC handsets that offer WAP and an image viewer with a two-inch display.

Thats the promise from an Intranet internet and wireless company company called RTS Networks which has invented out a way of combining mapping and routing software to work on any WAP-enabled mobile phone.

The Route WAP feature lets users pick an address through their WAP phone. The screen then displays turn-by-turn driving directions .

It is not a satellite navigation system and cannot show the users location.

But it can advise on the best route to take.

Route WAP is ideal for delivery of information and for workers that spend time travelling and visiting customer sites said RTS WAP consultant Brendan Yam.

Because Route WAP taps into a core business application Microsoft Outlook used by thousands of medium to large scale business the installation of this tool for use will require little customization.

RTS offers consultancy services and tailor-made WAP solutions for major clients such as Motorola Tesco Sony Nokia and even the United States National Guard.