Johannesburg, 05 Mar 2005
Through their alliance with Research In Motion (RIM) and Vodafone, the world`s largest cellular operator, Vodacom is the first to commercially launch the BlackBerry wireless solution to South Africa`s consumer and corporate markets on Sunday 6 March 2005.
BlackBerry is a unique mobile solution combining telephony with push e-mail, SMS, access to the Internet as well as access to calendar, contacts and other corporate data applications in a single integrated, innovative and stylish mobile, easy-to-use device. With BlackBerry, corporate and personal e-mail can be seamlessly integrated and delivered automatically to the customer`s BlackBerry device via the always-on, country-wide Vodacom GPRS network - no need for manual dial-up to retrieve e-mail. The user can receive, reply and forward e-mails as well as view a wide range of attachments (including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, as well as various well-known file formats).
There is no need for the individual user to subscribe to a separate Internet e-mail service to use BlackBerry. When an individual customer purchases a BlackBerry device from Vodacom, they will receive their own individual mobile e-mail service and address, allowing every South African affordable access to mobile e-mail. Using BlackBerry Internet Service, customers can access up to 10 corporate and/or personal email accounts (including Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino and many popular ISP email accounts) from a single device.
Corporate users can access their company`s enterprise applications, with seamless integration to corporate e-mail and, with some application integration, access back-end applications to streamline business processes and operations. With the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution, the corporate user`s BlackBerry handheld is synchronised with their corporate desktop calendar function. Changes to appointments on the user`s desktop are automatically updated on the user`s BlackBerry handheld and vice versa.
Full synchronisation of e-mail, calendar and contacts in the corporate environment allows the user to have the same view on their BlackBerry as on their desktop.
"BlackBerry is a mobile communications solution that continues to grow in popularity around the world with more than two million users. BlackBerry and unique push-based architecture is popular with customers because it enables improved collaboration, responsiveness and productivity," says Mark Guibert, Vice President, Corporate Marketing at Research In Motion.
Says Alan Knott-Craig, Group CEO, Vodacom: "BlackBerry will revolutionise the way we communicate and do business, by providing customers with a robust mobile platform and a simple-to-use device that combines the efficiency and basic features of a mobile phone, with the benefits of being able to receive e-mail and attachments on the move, ultimately making our customers` lives easier, any time, anywhere."
Vodacom will offer customers two BlackBerry models: the BlackBerry 7290 and the BlackBerry 7100v, both available to Vodacom through the Vodafone alliance.
The introduction of BlackBerry by Vodacom to the South African market is an illustration of how wireless technology has the potential to democratise communications further by providing e-mail and Internet access to millions of people. This is one of many examples of how Vodacom through their alliance with Vodafone makes this a reality.
Again through their alliance with Vodafone, Vodacom offers extensive GPRS roaming agreements with over 30 countries across the globe*, affording customers the opportunity to seamlessly roam internationally with their BlackBerry devices. Subscribers will be able to use their BlackBerry devices across Vodacom South Africa`s extensive network.
BlackBerry is now available in South Africa, through all Vodashops, Vodacom approved outlets and Service Providers.
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