Business Mobile World

The Apple iPhone has been an incredible success amongst individual consumers. For business mobile users the pull is not so great. The need for the "gadget of the moment" is less and functionality is far more important than style.

Most of the iPhone features can be performed just as well, if not better, by other phones on the market. Apple are also going to have trouble retaining their current advantage in the future as all of the major manufacturers are "out to get them" with every new SmartPhone release offering something to make it an "iPhone killer".

Not only that, but by signing exclusively with O2 they also have the other networks gunning for them. Vodafone, whilst being the largest network globally, are only second in the UK (and shortly to be third with the merger of Orange and O2).

They need something to entice the iPhone buyers onto their network. Or alternatively the many people who would like an iPhone but just cannot afford the hefty monthly bills or handset price!

Their answer, at least in the short term, is Vodafone 360. This service aims to pull together all of the social networking people do now, both on mobile phones and computers. A common address book will span email contacts, Facebook and Twitter friends and other online communities.

There will also be a store for Vodafone apps for music, games and mapping plus new content drawn from a range of developers. New phones will be launched to take advantage of this new service and to show it off to its full potential. Samsung are rumoured to be manufacturing two of the new handsets.

The first we are likely to see of Vodafone 360 is in the run up to Christmas. Watch this space.