msmobiles.com - Cellular News - Vodafone launches new and exclusive BlackBerry phone

Vodafone launches new and exclusive BlackBerry phone
September 16, 2004;
BlackBerry enters smartphone market ! It can make life difficult both for Symbian and for Microsoft. This phone has much more keys than regular cell phone - but less than QWERTY keyboard - so it is very good suitable for typing emails!

Vodafone today announces the launch of a new and exclusive addition to its popular BlackBerry from Vodafone range - the BlackBerry 7100v. Developed and manufactured by Research In Motion, the BlackBerry 7100v from Vodafone is a unique mobile phone combining easy access to voice services as well as immediate and reliable access to email, calendar and contacts, in an innovative and stylish format. Supported by the familiar and intuitive Vodafone-branded menu, the BlackBerry 7100v from Vodafone is the first of its kind available globally, adding to the range of Vodafone branded mobility solutions for business customers.

The BlackBerry 7100v from Vodafone has a new and innovative QWERTY keyboard, dedicated Send and End keys and a thumb operated trackwheel for fast and convenient navigation. Messages can be quickly and easily composed via SureType, a new keyboard technology from RIM that enables mobile phones to support the advanced messaging features required by business customers.

The device is easy to set up and use, featuring the Vodafone branded customer interface and BlackBerry push technology that means email is delivered direct to the handset without the need for manual dial-up. As well as providing effective voice services, the BlackBerry 7100v from Vodafone opens and forwards email attachments and enables fast and easy access to a wide range of additional attachment formats (including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Adobe Acrobat). In addition to 32MB of memory, the device offers advanced browser technology, quad-band international coverage, high performance internal antenna, speakerphone and Bluetooth support.

"Our business customers, particularly those who are self employed or running small to medium sized businesses, have been asking us for a simple device that combines the efficiency and basic features of a mobile phone, with the benefits of being able to access email and attachments on the move" said Peter Bamford, Chief Marketing Officer at Vodafone. "The BlackBerry 7100v from Vodafone offers a unique addition to the family of Vodafone business solutions and is the first in our planned portfolio of hand-held business devices designed to make our customers' lives easier, any time, anywhere".

"The new BlackBerry 7100v with SureType keyboard technology is the result of many years of research and innovation. We have listened to mobile users and created a new device that we believe will attract a whole new audience to BlackBerry for the first time," said Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO at Research In Motion. "A great deal of care has gone into the design of this sophisticated handset that delivers exceptional email, messaging and browsing capabilities as well as a high quality phone and an amazing colour screen."

The BlackBerry 7100v from Vodafone will be introduced on a phased basis across Australia, Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK. For more information on the BlackBerry from Vodafone range can be found at http://www.vodafone.com/office.

Photographs of the BlackBerry 7100v are available on the Vodafone website: www.vodafone.com/media/blackberry.

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