mobileu.co.uk

Smartphone move made by Vodafone

Vodafone is aiming to encourage more of its customers to make the switch to smartphones with the rollout of a new service integrating social networks like Facebook and Twitter.

The applications service, named Vodafone 360, is intended to rival Apple's iPhone, the Palm Pre and other handsets which use Google's Android operating system.

Coinciding with the app store's launch, Vodafone is changing its tagline from "Make the most of now" to "Power to you", which will start to appear in marketing materials over the next six weeks.

Vittorio Colao, chief executive of the telecoms firm, told the Sunday Times he is trying to "steer the whole company" in a new direction.

"It's not the brand talking anymore and telling the consumer what to do. It is the customer who will decide," he explained.

Although Vodafone stocks the iPhone in eleven countries and also sells the Android-operated HTC Magic in the UK, the organisation has championed customers' relationship with their network rather than their handset manufacturer.

To avail of the Vodafone 360 services, individuals will not be obliged to register their credit card with third parties but will instead be able to purchase applications via their phone bills.