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Ofcom helps protect customers against unexpected roaming charges

Ofcom helps protect customers against unexpected roaming charges

UK service providers must notify customers when they connect to a different network

New rules from UK telecoms regulator Ofcom will protect customers when they use their mobile phone on a foreign network. In addition, customers will be alerted if they are inadvertently roaming, perhaps because they're near an international border.
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Global smartphone market is set for recovery, says new forecast

A new forecast from research specialists Canalys shows the smartphone market is set to recover next year. Worldwide shipments declined by 12% last year but that decline is expected to slow to 5% this year.
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Vodafone and Three plan to merge their UK businesses

Vodafone and Three plan to merge their UK businesses

New Hutchison/Vodafone network would be biggest UK operator

Vodafone Group plc and CK Hutchison Group Telecom Holdings Limited have agreed to combine their UK telecommunication businesses, respectively Vodafone UK and Three UK. The merger will create a large new network operator to compete with Virgin Media O2 and EE.
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UK mobile payment service Paym to close in March 2023

UK mobile payment service Paym will close on 7th March 2023. The service, which allowed users to make and receive payments using their mobile phone numbers, was launched in 2014.
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Qualcomm legal action moves forward in the UK

Qualcomm legal action moves forward in the UK

Which? seeks payout for Samsung and Apple smartphone owners

Consumer protection organisation Which? has been given permission by the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal to represent Apple and Samsung smartphone buyers in a legal case against chip manufacturer Qualcomm.
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Opinion Articles

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Google, Android and TouchDown – demonstrating the new "old" business model

James Rosewell writes:

If you work for a sizeable organisation it’s 65% likely your email, contacts, calendar and task list will all reside on a Microsoft Exchange server. That’s quite a lot of mobile phones to connect and synchronise with Exchange. Microsoft has a solution called ActiveSync now supported by Nokia, Apple and a few others. RIM requires a server that IT departments need to install to allow their BlackBerry users to access these features.

Android Eclair operating systemAndroid has been left behind when it comes to accessing ActiveSync. The most recent Android operating system, 2.1 available on the Google Nexus One, does support ActiveSync. At least that’s what it says on the box. However it’s only half a solution, supporting contacts and email but not calendars and tasks.

Fortunately there is an answer in the form of TouchDown from NitroDesk Inc. Available through the Android Marketplace this little application provides all the functionality you’d get on a Windows Phone device. Create emails, manage all your contacts, schedule new appointments and invite others, manage your tasks and much, much more. There are some features missing, like cutting and pasting from email messages, but it’s a pretty good start.

TouchDown and Android 2.1 demonstrate how far the mobile phone has moved towards a PC model when it comes to consumer choice. The hardware manufacturer, operating system and applications are now truly separate, freeing the consumer to choose the best of each world. Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 - due to be released later this year - has a huge amount of ground to make up in this regard. Companies retaining a closed model need to be careful not to be sidelined and become niche players.

James Rosewell has no professional involvement with NitroDesk Inc.

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