Vodafone develops its mobile web strategy

by Andrew McCormick, Media Week 06-Jun-07, 12:00

LONDON - Mobile operator Vodafone has claimed a technological breakthrough that enables users to see optimised versions of internet sites on their phones.

Mobile users will no longer see distorted versions of websites through their mobile browser, Vodafone claims.

The development is part of Vodafone's strategy to make the mobile web more accessible through its portal. Vodafone is offering customers a choice of email providers as well as on-portal access to sites including eBay and MySpace. It has also put its Google search engine at the centre of its portal. It now enables customers to store favourites on Vodafone's portal and bookmark any site on the web.

eBay, Google, MySpace, Yahoo! and YouTube have all partnered with Vodafone in its attempt to develop its mobile web strategy. As part of the move Vodafone is offering flat rate pricing for accessing the mobile web, rather than paying per megabyte.