Deutsche Telekom pillars introduce T-Zones - Launch of T-Online-Vision broadband portal - Multitalent: T-Mobile's new Mobile Digital Assistant (MDA) - SMS options for contract and Xtra customers - GPRS price cuts and first roaming offers The new era of broadband and multimedia communication continues to take shape. CeBIT 2002 sees T-Mobile and T-Online presenting a wide range of new products and services. At the same time, both of these Deutsche Telekom companies are using their appearance in Hanover to give further impetus to mobile and online communications. "T-Mobile and T-Online certainly occupy a leading position in the race towards this new era", commented Kai-Uwe Ricke, Member of the Deutsche Telekom Board of Management responsible for mobile and online communications and Chairman of the T-Mobile International Management Board, at Wednesday's technical press conference at CeBIT 2002.
"The Deutsche Telekom Group has around 67 million mobile phone customers around the world and approximately 11 million T-Online users, which places us in an excellent position: None of our competitors can boast such a large customer base as well as the combination of mobile communications and online skills which we possess in the Group". According to Ricke, key themes at this year's CeBIT shall be the presentation of the T-Online Vision broadband portal and the T-Zones for mobile and fixed network communication.
With T-Online Vision, Deutsche Telekom is for the first time offering T-DSL customers "attractive broadband content such as live concerts by video streaming or games on demand", emphasised Thomas Holtrop, Chairman of the Board of Management of T-Online International AG. "With T-Online Vision, we are offering an extensive range of products, bringing media convergence to life - towards the TV and with TV quality on demand." A particular highlight of the CeBIT presentation will be the first joint online concert of the top pop bands "No Angels" and "Bro'Sis". Both these German groups shall be appearing live and for T-Online Vision on 15 March, when "No Angels" will be singing their latest single before its official release.
Hanover also sees the launch of a new mobile phone experience based around the mobile phone. T-Mobile Online's WAP portal now offers an even clearer topic structure but above all a variety of new products and services through T-Online's so-called T-Zones. The T-Zones currently available are t-info, t-news, t-sports, t-music and t-games. They form an entry for Internet users into the world of T-Online, whether access is via narrowband (www.t-online.de), broadband (T-Online Vision) or mobile (T-Mobile Online). Following the launch of the mobile T-Zones at CeBIT 2002, narrow- and broadband shall follow by the end of the second quarter. T-Mobile Online also offers a range of downloads as a menu option. Customers can, for example quickly and easily download new games in Java standard, as well as ringtones and greeting cards. The mobile phone is increasingly becoming a data terminal with a telephone function.
"The information and entertainment products which T-Online provides over the fixed network shall be adapted to exactly meet the needs of mobile users" underlined René Obermann, Board Member responsible for European Operations and Group Synergies at T-Mobile International and Chairman of the Managing Board of T-Mobile Deutschland. With a unified approach in fixed network and mobile communications we shall also be showing the way towards greater personalisation and media-independent access, factors that will play a big part in shaping the UMTS and Internet business.
A UMTS test network set up especially for the exhibition will allow us to demonstrate not only live voice connections at our stand, but also for the first time broadband data transmissions. Networked solutions from the T-Mobile Future House will offer visitors an insight into the benefits of the next generation of mobile communications. Demonstrations shall include the purchase of cinema or event tickets, the download of music files and games as well as the opportunity to obtain information such as the latest sports news in sound and pictures on your mobile phone.
T-Mobile is also presenting innovations in mobile text messaging. The company will be the first in Germany to demonstrate a "mobile instant messaging" scenario, as well as the first functions offered by Multimedia Message Service (MMS), not to mention a new form of email notification. This last service is available with certain of the newer mobile phones and informs the user by text message of incoming emails. A simple push of a button is all that is then required to launch the WAP browser and establish a direct connection to the WAP page where the email has been received.
Alongside new technologies and applications, T-Mobile is also presenting a wide range of phones at CeBIT, offering a variety of functions such as WAP access via GPRS or the download of Java games. One of the highlights is the T-Mobile MDA (Mobile Digital Assistant). The MDA combines the functions of a mobile phone with those of a pocket computer, uses GPRS technology and has a big colour screen. The T-Mobile MDA offers users direct access to Internet pages, emails and WAP content.
T-Mobile is also setting the pace at CeBIT when it comes to prices. From 15 April 2002, customers of T-Mobile Deutschland will be able to send text messages at especially low prices thanks to the new "T-D1 SMS more" option available with the "TellyActive" and "XtraOne" rates. Mobile data communication by text message is not the only service getting cheaper - sending information by GPRS is too. Private and business users of this high-speed mobile communication technology shall be able to benefit from price reductions and from new rate options for frequent users: GPRS "Office", GPRS "GigaPlus" and the new data rate "CompanyData Speed". These benefits should be available from the start of June.
GPRS users who want to be able to read their emails when they're abroad, or who want to call up current travel information quickly and easily while they're on the road, will be pleased to hear about the new GPRS roaming offers from T-Mobile . From 1 April 2002, contract customers of T-Mobile International companies in Germany, Austria, Britain, the USA and the Czech Republic shall be able to take advantage of GPRS roaming in several European countries and the USA.
A new function of the T-D1 voice mail box shall also be available from April. "Telephone Number Identification" shall enable T-Mobile customers to find out who has been calling them, even if the caller doesn't leave a message. From this summer, it shall be possible to call the person back directly from the voice mail box. Both these features shall be made available automatically. A new feature for Xtra customers will be the facility to record a personalised voice message for the mailbox.