Vodafone live!
Encyclopedia
Vodafone live! was the brand name for the multimedia portal service of mobile phone
operator Vodafone
, which was initially developed by Japan's J-Phone under the J-Sky brand. Vodafone
acquired J-Phone including J-Sky in 2001–2002 and changed the name from J-Sky to Vodafone Live! in 2003.
The service was marketed extensively, using stars such as footballer David Beckham
and singer Robbie Williams
.
While the service itself can be looked at with any WAP
browser, Vodafone live! handsets marketed by the company integrate the service with each handset's core functions. All handsets include a colour screen, a digital camera and the capability to send and receive email, SMS
and MMS messages.
The service and its content are modelled largely on NTT
DoCoMo
's successful i-Mode
service and Vodafone Japan
's (formerly J-Phone) J-Sky service.
Vodafone Live! works by way of a system of version releases. Each mobile operator upgrades their Vodafone Live! implementation to the latest version. What makes this particularly effective is that the amount of research and development undertaken by Vodafone Live! globally, is much more than a single operator could undertake - and yet the benefit is shared amongst all the operators.
Vodafone Live! concludes global content deals through their Paddington office in London. These global deals offer benefits to the local operators who would not ordinarily be in a position to conclude such a deal on their own.
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
operator Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
, which was initially developed by Japan's J-Phone under the J-Sky brand. Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
acquired J-Phone including J-Sky in 2001–2002 and changed the name from J-Sky to Vodafone Live! in 2003.
The service was marketed extensively, using stars such as footballer David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
and singer Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
.
While the service itself can be looked at with any WAP
Wireless Application Protocol
Wireless Application Protocol is a technical standard for accessing information over a mobile wireless network.A WAP browser is a web browser for mobile devices such as mobile phones that uses the protocol.Before the introduction of WAP, mobile service providers had limited opportunities to offer...
browser, Vodafone live! handsets marketed by the company integrate the service with each handset's core functions. All handsets include a colour screen, a digital camera and the capability to send and receive email, SMS
Short message service
Short Message Service is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices...
and MMS messages.
The service and its content are modelled largely on NTT
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone
, commonly known as NTT, is a Japanese telecommunications company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Ranked the 31st in Fortune Global 500, NTT is the largest telecommunications company in Asia, and the second-largest in the world in terms of revenue....
DoCoMo
DoCoMo
DoCoMo is a trademark of the NTT DoCoMo corporation of Japan, used in its home market and in India in partnership with Tata Teleservices. It is an acronym of the phrase "Do communications over the mobile network."See also the following mobile phone operators:...
's successful i-Mode
I-mode
NTT DoCoMo's i-mode is a mobile internet service popular in Japan. Unlike Wireless Application Protocol, i-mode encompasses a wider variety of internet standards, including web access, e-mail and the packet-switched network that delivers the data...
service and Vodafone Japan
Vodafone Japan
, previously as Vodafone K.K. and J-PHONE, is the Japanese subsidiary company of mobile phone operator SoftBank.Masayoshi Son is CEO and Representative Director.-Technology:...
's (formerly J-Phone) J-Sky service.
Vodafone Live! works by way of a system of version releases. Each mobile operator upgrades their Vodafone Live! implementation to the latest version. What makes this particularly effective is that the amount of research and development undertaken by Vodafone Live! globally, is much more than a single operator could undertake - and yet the benefit is shared amongst all the operators.
Vodafone Live! concludes global content deals through their Paddington office in London. These global deals offer benefits to the local operators who would not ordinarily be in a position to conclude such a deal on their own.