Yes Telecom claimed last week it is the top UK service provider for BlackBerry.

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) refused to comment on its UK partners.

Yes said it had connected over 15000 BlackBerry data subscribers with an average revenue per user of £84. It connected 1900 in November and December an increase of 1537 year-on-year.

Virgin Mobile has practically exited the independent channel including high street retail because of the cost of acquisition. It aims to boost its meagre contract subscriber base by signing 400000 customers this year from parent company Virgin Medias base which numbers around five million. Sales to group customers will be direct and see it pull back further from the channel.

Meanwhile Virgin Mobile has restructured its marketing team ahead of the arrival of new managing director Graeme Oxby next week.

Jonathan Kini who ran Virgin Mobiles supply chain and logistics has taken the role of director of commercial. Kini takes over responsibility from former Virgin Mobile sales and distribution director Rob Shardlow for all commercial contracts including network relations and handset purchasing. Shardlow has taken the role of group sales director at Virgin Media.

Under Virgin Media Kinis job will differ from former Virgin Mobile commercial director Joe Steels role with much of the slack taken up at group level.

Likewise the role of Virgin Mobile managing director which Oxby takes on September 3 is reduced in terms of administrative and financial scope.

Tim Dowling who was in charge of prepay and contract has been appointed director of the consumer proposition.

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Voice and data B2B dealer Azzurri Communications was number 45 on the Sunday Times Buyout Track 100 list published on February 18 and sponsored by Deloitte.

The Buyout Track 100 is a league table that shows the top 100 private equity-backed mid-market companies in the UK with the fastest growing profits over two years.

Network infrastructure company Aircom International was listed at number two.

Azzurris chief executive officer Martin St Quinton said: Our placement in the Buyout Track 100 is fantastic news for everyone at Azzurri and we are delighted to have the endorsement of an internationally respected company such as Deloitte.

This research shows the success that companies such as Azzurri have had in Britain and further backs up Azzurris commitment to excellence and growth.

Aircom chief executive officer Margaret Rice-Jones said: Aircom is now firmly on the radar.

SMS provider LogicaCMG last week confirmed the sale of its messaging and voicemail business to private equity firm Atlantic Bridge for £265 million.

LogicaCMG provides SMS MMS and voicemail service platforms to service providers and telecoms operators worldwide. Atlantic Bridge plans to revamp the business under the Acision brand.

About half of the funds from the sale will be returned to shareholders through a share buy-back.

LogicaCMG CEO Martin Read said: This divestment allows LogicaCMG to focus on its core strengths in IT and business services.

Ovum research director Jean-Charles Doineau said: The SMS centre market has become a commodity. Transition to IP-based messaging has proven uneasy to manage in developed countries.

Mobile phone recycling company Eazyfone Group has established FoneAid which will donate money to grassroots UK organisations in exchange for old handsets.

FoneAid will give £3 to participating charities sports clubs hospitals and youth organisations that donate their old mobile phones. For every 100 phones handed in they will also receive £100 in high street gift vouchers.

Handsets will be used in developing countries or recycled.

FoneAid is the third brand in the Eazyfone stable alongside Envirofone and Fones4Schools.

Bluestreak Technology has released a new version of its media content platform for manufacturers and network operators. The original version ships on all phones sold by Orange.

The new version MachBlue Mobile enhances graphics and functionality for networks programming rich-media content such as mobile TV and video on to their handsets.

Chessington-based SIM-free distributor Frequency Telecom celebrated its fifth birthday this month.

Company managing director Gareth Limpenny said: Its an achievement to be proud of particularly within such a competitive market we appear to have the right recipe.

He added: We are immensely grateful to our staff and trade partners that have supported us. Now with the addition of accessories to our portfolio we believe we have the ingredients for a bright future.

Frequency Telecoms head of marketing Stephen Donovan said the business had succeeded in spite its doubters in the early days.

Despite criticism from the market leaders when we set up we were always confident we could offer alternative services he said.
We have managed to build strong relationships with our customers. Frequency was based on no frills no fuss and no gimmicks.

It was set up in 2002 by directors Limpenny John Whitlock and Andrew Cain as well as sales manager Paul Slaven. It forecasts an annual turnover of £24 million.

US IT distributor Tech Data Europe which has just entered into a European joint-venture with US handset distributor Brightstar struck a deal last week to supply T-Mobile data products to IT dealers across Europe.

Tech Data Europe vice president of marketing Wolfgang Pregel said: This agreement is particularly timely with our recent announcement to form Brightstar Europe. With the addition of T-Mobile to Tech Datas vendor portfolio we are in a strong position to enable our resellers to make the most of the opportunities that exist through the activation of data cards.

He added: With more corporations SMEs and consumers now looking to extend their flexibility by subscribing to 3G data services the agreement opens up new business for our customers with additional margin through the sale of network tariffs.

Dealers will be able to offer pre-configured smartphones PDAs and laptops on T-Mobile to customers. The two companies are working on a dealer initiative that will allow them to offer customers a month-long free trial on T-Mobile products.

Michael Wilkens executive vice-president of wholesale multinational partnerships and channel development at T-Mobile International said: We look forward to working with Tech Data resellers to drive our data products and services throughout Europe.

The LGV under escort was forced off the road near Farnborough Hampshire by criminals in a black Subaru Impreza. The criminals first attacked the escort vehicle with crowbars before forcing the rear doors of the LGV and stealing a portion of the cargo.

The Impreza crashed during pursuit by police and two individuals were arrested. The incident happened on May 30.

The targeting of the shipment and the awareness of the presence of the escort suggests both the nature of the shipment and its security arrangements were compromised prior to departure said freight crimetracking company Eurowatch.

Another Emblaze man sales director Mark Clifford will join Alexander at ROK and take charge of its original developer manufacturer operations.

Alexander left Emblaze on June 1 when its distribution business European Telecom (ET) went into receivership. He said ROK would pick up some of the fulfilment relationships he had built at Emblaze.

Were looking to work with some existing ET and Emblaze partners. We will partner with manufacturers and other distribution companies to deliver handsets with content to retailers and network customers and help them target specific demographics.

Alexander takes the role from ROK founder Jonathan Kendrick who continues as chairman.

ROK best known for mobile TV employs 150 staff worldwide and has filed more than 40 patent applications for mobile content technologies and applications. It will deploy over 30 on-demand mobile TV services on networks by the end of 2007.

ROK is set to float on the US stock exchange via a reverse takeover of US listed company CyberFund.

Alexander said: Ill continue to work with Emblaze I have a good relationship with the board there. ROK is on the cusp of becoming a multi-billion dollar business and there is a focus on the UK this year.

He added: Mobile content and data has been a bit of a damp squib to date. ROK focuses on what the customer wants and the fact networks are starting to offer all-you-can-eat data tariffs is crucial. I will fight around the world for these flat-rate tariffs and to protect consumers from bill shock.