Improveline says Britains builders and home improvement contractors are struggling to keep up with advances made in technology.

This is a tremendous opportunity to bring the benefits of WAP to a significant area of the UK workforce which does not yet have a high degree of technological penetration said Improveline chief executive Marshall King.

The home improvement professionals who take up this offer will be able to receive e-mails via their mobile phones access the internet and other useful information. In a market that requires speed of response and access to relevant data this service could mean the difference between winning and losing a contract. The biggest obstacle we face is convincing them that technology does not have to be expensive and that the benefits can far outweigh the cost King added.

Although around 75 per cent of small and medium-sized business have an on-line presence only nine per cent of professional traders have a website.

Improveline says it has processed around 60 million home improvement job requests from homeowners via its website.

The two giants will collaborate on research and development to ensure compatibility between MasterCards electronic payment systems and Motorolas WAP and other mobile internet devices.

The MasterCard/Motorola alliance also includes cooperation initiatives to promote the benefits of m-commerce to consumers through joint marketing activities.

This collaboration is a critical step that will speed the delivery of e-commerce capabilities to the mobile consumer thereby enabling m-commerce and ensuring that the experience is superb said Janiece Webb senior vice president and general manager of Motorolas Personal Networks Group.

The agreement between MasterCard and Motorola includes

Europay International MasterCards European affiliate for the promotion of m-commerce throughout Europe.

The companies also plan to work together to adapt existing intelligent payment systems for the mobile environment.

These other systems include

MasterCard M/Chip its chip-based integrated credit/debit system and

Mondex MasterCards chip-based electronic cash payment system which has been trialled in Swindon.

MasterCard is moving at web speed to work with Motorola and its other alliances to develop secure methods for payment to service the growing mobile electronic commerce sector said Chris Jarman senior vice president Mobile Commerce MasterCard International.

Motorolas alliance with MasterCard will enable Motorola to work more closely with MasterCards 22000 member financial institutions.

Motorola expects to realise continued improvements in the capabilities and functionality of its existing wireless internet devices and platforms such as the dual-SIM StarTAC which can take a cash card as well as the regular network SIM.

Both companies should also benefit from the respective experience leadership and brand recognition of the other

MasterCard International claims it has more than a billion MasterCard Cirrus and Maestro credit charge and debit cards in circulation today in 210 countries and territories with more than 18 million acceptance locations.

Core benefits include a free audit on business tariffs and a preferential customer support hot-line and upgrade programme. CMCs Business Specialist status applies to London and Home Counties.

Anthony Croucher (43) of Eastwoodbury Crescent Leigh Southend was also ordered to pay 50 costs.

Croucher a former genuine fire extinguisher inspector strolled into The Carphone Warehouse Strand shop on May 4 asking employees to show him the stock room to check fire extinguishers kept there.

The conman was carrying an empty cardboard box with a picture of a fire extinguisher on it. He used the box to smuggle out two mobile phones.

A few days later Croucher phoned the same store and told them his company had recommended swapping one of the fire extinguishers.

He returned to the shop on May 9 along with another empty box. Staff again showed him into the stock room. When he emerged an employee asked to inspect the box.

Croucher made a run for it leaving behind the box which was found to contain six stolen phones.

A member of staff noted his car number plate and police tracked him down. He admitted both offences of burglary.

In another case Neasden woman Lorraine Medrick was given 50 hours community service and placed on probation for using a stolen credit card to buy two phones from The Link in Oxford Street.

Suspicious staff alerted other Link stores. The woman tried the same scam 30 minutes later at another Link store and police arrested her.

PNC will sell the 07 through its rece tly-acquired KJC Mobile Phone outlets as well as its own dealer network.

It will also cross-sell its current internet and telephony product range to Flexinumber users.

We have the widest range of handsets possible and offer mobile internet handsets to pre-pay customers that compare to those available to monthly contract customers said BTCellnet marketing director Peter Richardson.

Other BTCellnet prepay WAP phones are the Trium Geo ( 49.99). Alcatel One Touch View ( 49.99) Motorola T2288 ( 59.99) and Nokia 7110 ( 109.99).

Of 10000 people questioned around 52 per cent said they were concerned about using mobile devices to buy goods over the internet.

Around 65per cent of those questioned were worried their privacy will be invaded through the misuse of personal information stored on the internet.

Nine per cent of people were worried that receiving junk mail would out-weight the benefits of m-commerce.

The survey revealed 58 per cent of people fear work may invade their private lives with m-commerce.

This is the worldwide industry body responsible for the invention and continued development of WAP technology.

DHL launched a WAP parcel-tracking service last October and says use of this service has grown 50 per cent each month.

Users can access DHLs central web site through any WAP device.

To access the new 28.8kbps data service new and existing Orange customers will need to buy a 299 Nokia cardphone which includes a SIM card and dedicated data number.

For a three-month promotional period Orange Data Access users can use the service at normal Orange data rates. All Orange Data Access calls can be detailed on one bill via Orange TalkShare.

Orange Data Access enables allows customers to send and receive emails and faxes and download pages from the Internet or intranet to their laptop at up to three times the current speed (see Sharp End).

For a three-month promotional period Orange Data Access users can use the service at normal Orange data rates. All Orange Data Access calls can be detailed on one bill via Orange TalkShare.

The system called Qdodge.com is an instant pre-pay mobile top up service for customers to buy call time on the four networks.

It is a joint venture between BTCellnets internet division Genie and rok.com a company founded in 1999 to develop pre-pay services. rok.com will be responsible for the funding rollout and management of the website and ATM network infrastructure. Genie is handling the marketing.

As well as being able to buy vouchers for any network over the Internet at Qdodge.com people will also be able to top-up pre-pay phones using the ATMs e-cash facility.

Users order an account card over the internet or from a telephone ordering hot line. When they need a top-up or want to buy other products they insert their card into the ATM and top-up their account by feeding bank notes into the machine for credit and tapping in their mobile number the network they are on and number and value of vouchers they want to purchase. The ATM then prints out a slip of paper with a top-up PIN number for them to key into their handset.

The Qdodge.com ATM network has the ability to turn hard cash into e-cash to make any online purchase said Genie managing director Kent Thexton.

The Qdodge.com ATMs will be ready for this in the New Year and after that the rollout will be as fast as e-tailers can sign-up. This means that for the first time people who dont have a debit or credit card have the option to purchase online. Were taking e-commerce to the mass market.

The ATM network will be available throughout the UK in locations where customers cannot currently buy pre-pay mobile phone vouchers for example train stations leisure centres clubs pubs universities and motorway service areas.

Qdodge.com is being developed with rok.com. Customers will also get free complementary services over the Qdodge.com web site. They will be able to download ring tones send SMS text messages via Genie to any mobile phone download logos onto their phone screen and send online postcards.

Shortly after launch customers will also be able to check the history of their airtime purchases and over time upgrade their handsets.

Added Thexton:

Qdodge.com offers real benefits from day one by tapping into the fastest growth sector the telecoms market has ever seen. Pre-pay top-ups for the next calendar year alone will be valued in excess of 3 billion.

For the first time pre-pay mobile phone users will have the option to top up their vouchers 24-hours-a-day seven days-a-week and in ways and in locations that they have never been able to online and through a network of ATMs.

Qdodge.com is a clear demonstration of Genies commitment to bringing mobile phones and the Internet together in new ways. Qdodge.com fits well with our service portfolio and we see every Qdodge.com visitor as a potential visitor to Genie.