Orange to launch UK social network service

by Fiona Ramsay, Media Week 09-Jul-08, 13:45

LONDON - Mobile phone operator Orange plans to launch a new social networking service in the UK this summer, combining MySpace, Facebook, Pikeo, Bebo and other social networking sites onto its Orange World mobile portal.

The service, which has already launched in France, combines the sites' functions into one area.

Members of MySpace, Facebook and Bebo will be able to view their profile updates and recently uploaded pictures on Orange mobile phones.

The Orange service works by displaying popular functions of multiple social networks together, so that they can be accessed with one click, rather than have users log into separate sites.

Paul-Francois Fournier, senior vice-president for portal strategy and online advertising at Orange, said: "This new service will give our mobile customers easy and optimised access to the most popular Internet online communities on their mobile, so they can take it with them wherever they go.

"It also supports our cross-platform advertising strategy, with a compelling offer for advertisers to reach all those different communities in one single place on Orange World portals."