His capture follows the recruitment of former Carphone and Dextra web chief Mike Gray.

Beard joins as B2B dealer manager for Shebangs new Sellfone B2B sales software which enables B2B dealers to build quotes for multiples handsets track sales and replenish stock automatically.

Shebang managing director Iain Humphrey said: The B2B arena is where the networks struggle.

It is the sector where they most need quality entrepreneurial dealers. They can back their levels of service up now with this new computer system and Paul is on board to get the message out there.

Beard spent 10 years at Orange from 1990-2000. He left 3 in December during its staff cull after four years.

Its move into SIM-free sales follows the closure of Carphones Mobile Phone Express business last month. All its product lines come via Carphone.

HSC business manager Bob Sweetlove said: This is not about handset trading its about giving HSC dealers the opportunity to single source what they need for their customers.

HSC is offering dealers SIM-free kit on their existing HSC accounts through their account managers. Sweetlove said that by operating a single trade account model for all products purchased from HSC the accounts side is simplified so that dealers with limited resources do not waste time on administrative tasks.

The combined airtime/SIM free account also offers the dealers the opportunity to sell handsets with commission payments. However the system is not automated. Dealers will be able to calculate what they are owed in commission payments and offset it against invoices for SIM-free kit.

Sweetlove said: We are looking for ways to improve our service and product offering to dealers. We will look to develop additional services around SIM-free as required.

Just in the initial weeks of actively offering SIM-free weve been able to offer the Sony Ericsson S500i and the Nokia 8600 Luna at better prices than our competitors and in some cases are first to market.

He added: We want to be taken seriously in the SIM-free marketplace.

HSC is attempting to reassert itself as a full service distributor under the stewardship of Carphone following the termination of its Vodafone contract at the end of 2006.

It is thought Nokia is looking outside the industry to fill the role vacated by Simon Lloyd in May and that Bernard is most likely to join Motorola.

Neither was available for comment. Bernard was the longest-serving UK team member at LG Mobile.

Of a 20-strong UK team LG Mobile UK head of marketing John Bernard marketing manager Katherine Murray 3 account manager Matt Dixon and web manager Javier Blanco have all resigned.

One source close to LG Mobile said: There is no sales strategy. Returns of the Shine are high and there is nothing sexy in the pipeline for the next six months.

But Barton responded: ³There is no panic or crisis. It is a sad coincidence that we¹re losing four staff but their positions will be filled quickly.

Weve taken the UK number four spot from Motorola and the roadmap is good.

Barton said that LG Mobile will launch several new prepay devices in the coming months as well as a premium imaging phone in Q4 which he described as the finest imaging device we have seen.

But retail sources said that despite early interest in the Shine and Prada sales had slowed to a trickle on both while LG¹s roadmap did not compare with that of either Sony Ericsson or country rival Samsung which is set to unveil a 5.2 megapixel slider phone next week.

LG Mobile¹s share of weekly sales according to GfK data has drifted from around six per cent in mid-April its highest share of UK sales to under four per cent.

Sources said it will not stem the flow with its new devices.

The Shine has been disappointing. Return rates are high and the early interest hasn¹t lasted. The same goes for the Prada. It did well for a couple of months but that has gone now too² said one senior retail source.

The cupboard is looking distinctly bare and the competition is so strong from Sony Ericsson and Samsung.

He added: Samsung has set out to stuff LG since it launched the Chocolate.

The new model will have the same functions as its silver coloured predecessor but its exterior has undergone a makeover changing colour to a dark metallic grey.

LG Mobile Head of UK Marketing Gary Venn said: The addition of the LG Shine Titanium Black to the series will appeal to customers who demand the highest standards in style and technology. This handset takes the LG Shine to the next level offering an elegant and stylish alternative to its predecessor.

The LG Shine Titanium Black will be available in the UK in late 2007.

The deal will enable Orange to rent videos or sell on demand movies made by Walt Disney Pictures Touchstone Pictures and Miramax Films. The agreement is a first for Orange who will launch its digital TV service in the UK later this year.

Orange director of ipTV Tim Pearson said: The Disney-ABC International Television deal is the first of a number of content deals were announcing; and demonstrates were gearing up for our launch of digital TV later this year. We intend to offer our customers a great range of the best movies on demand for which this agreement with Disney is a great step.

The five-channel service was launched last year with a £2.5million advertising campaign staring ex-Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson. But Virgin will shut down the service early next year after poor sales of the Lobster700TV handset which is the only mobile that is compatible with the service.

BT can confirm that following a review of its wholesale solutions the decision has been made not to continue with the Movio service BT said in a statement.

The event will see over 200 tonnes of sand laid on the city streets of Edinburgh Birmingham Cardiff and Belfast between July and September.

The retailer will also be showcasing the latest handsets as well as bringing along the beach buggy featured in its latest advertising campaign.

A Phones 4U spokeswoman said: Our latest advertising campaign was filmed in a beach setting and we saw the Phones 4u Urban Beach Tour as a great opportunity to bring our ad campaign to life in a way that is very relevant to our key consumers.

The device which RIM claims is its thinnest features a trackball navigation system inbuilt GPS enhanced media player and expandable memory.

The 8820 is the first dual-mode BlackBerry handset combining GSM and wi-fi connectivity.

RIM president Mike Lazaridis said: The BlackBerry 8820 is an extraordinary business phone for people who really care about mobile communications and productivity.

It features all the renowned power and usability of the BlackBerry platform with executive class styling and unprecedented connectivity features including cellular Wi-Fi and built-in GPS.

Orange business services UK interim vice president Neil Laidler added: Our research indicates that increasing instances of home and flexible working will be one of the defining business trends of this decade.

Were therefore delighted to be further expanding our range of converged devices from Orange with this exciting new addition from RIM ensuring that we continue to meet the growing demands of todays flexible organisations.

The division based in New Malden Surrey was voted the best performing out of its 10 offices after exceeding the sales and turnover targets set and received a silver rose bowl from former COO Steve Dalton.

Azzurri sales director Simon Price said: We have maintained a good working relationship with Vodafone in particular and our gross level has been pretty solid all year round so they have definitely been contributing factors.

Were continuing to invest in our sales division and have improved our managed services. Coupled with our success at the Mobile News Awards this award shows the hard work everyone is putting in this year.