Orange launches the first mobile data application showcase specifically for SMEs

Orange today launches the first showcase of mobile data applications specifically designed for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The applications, carefully selected from Orange partners, enable SMEs to perform key business functions on the move, increasing efficiency and productivity in a competitive environment. The applications include data collection, project management and currency converters to help the business traveller work more effectively outside the office.

Orange recognises that SMEs are highly mobile and want to work more efficiently but unlike their larger competitors, do not always have the time and resources to find and choose mobile applications to enable this. Orange's range of applications are carefully selected and rigorously tested to provide the right support for specific business needs, all from one easy-to-access location. Speed and ease of use were key criteria for Orange in selecting applications for the showcase. Additionally, to ensure a simple end-user experience, there is no upfront cost, a straightforward download process and one monthly charge per user, per application. This, coupled with expert guidance and support from the relevant partner and Orange makes the SME Applications Showcase a solution that growing businesses can rapidly deploy to meet their mobility needs.

""SMEs are among the most mobile types of business and increasingly rely on their mobile devices to stay in contact through calls and by email. Yet despite spending a lot of time out of the office, many small businesses do not harness the full power of mobility to the extent that large businesses with fleet and IT managers do,"" says Philippe Bernard, Executive VP, Business Solutions, Orange. ""The next dimension of data services often appears to be an unknown and complicated challenge to SMEs. By providing this suite of business-enabling mobile applications, we are simplifying access to the key applications, offering immediate benefits and unlocking the potential for business on the move,"" he concludes.

The simple and relevant applications have been carefully selected, from a range of leading local and European providers, to enable all elements of a mobile SMEs' business. This includes sales teams, field employees, project managers, marketing, HR and finance teams. The applications can be downloaded via the Orange showcase, from the relevant partner site, onto compatible Orange handsets - which includes its Signature SPV range and high-end devices from manufacturers such as Sony Ericsson, Motorola and Nokia.

Hervé Fontaine, Sony Ericsson says, ""As the demand for mobile data grows amongst small business users, we are pleased to partner with Orange to deliver increased accessibility through our high-quality mobile devices to better enable employees to work efficiently on the move.""

The showcase will launch via a phased roll-out of localised sites across the Orange footprint. Launched today via the Orange network in the UK and Belgium, followed by France, Sloakia, Poland, Switzerland and Netherlands later this year, the portfolio of applications has been rigorously tested to ensure suitability for Orange mobile devices and optimum performance on the network. Many applications are available on free trials. The showcase provides access to eight categories of applications: - Sales force automation: Salespeople can focus on their business goals as opposed to administrative tasks. They can access the most up-to-date customer and product information, as well as file expenses on their mobiles. - Field services: Those out in the field can collect information and send it back to head office. It creates simple forms that field staff can fill in and send back via their mobiles. The navigation element helps track a team's location to identify who is in the local area, thereby increasing responsiveness to a customer's call. - Marketing and communications: Events can be enhanced by encouraging attendees to interact with their mobiles via voting, answering research questions and providing real-time feedback. - Finance: This application enables real-time control of assets and includes stock market alerts. - Tools for business travellers: This portfolio of useful information and services will help to alleviate stress and hassle of business travel - it includes city guides, weather forecasts, currency converters and maps. - Productivity: This application allows people to access modify, forward and save documents from the office, as well as email attachments in Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point directly from their mobile. - Project management: Employees can track their time directly through the mobile to give an accurate view at all times. - HR: Expenses can quickly and effortlessly be logged and claimed for on mobiles; employers can access the most up-to-date information for their financial records.

More applications are planned for each category in the future. Orange will monitor usage and poll customers to ensure the most effective and essential applications are rapidly developed and brought to market as the showcase evolves.

To access the virtual showroom of mobile applications and find out more about the range of business tools, customers can visit www.orange-applications.com. Users will conduct a simple registration process then be passed through to the relevant partner site to purchase the application. Each partner will manage billing and provide ongoing support. To ensure a consistent experience, Orange offers a central support function to provide advice and to channel specific application enquiries to relevant partners.

Philippe Bernard, Executive VP, Business Solutions, Orange says: ""SMEs are among the most mobile types of business and increasingly rely on their mobile devices to stay in contact through calls and by email. Yet despite spending a lot of time out of the office, many small businesses do not harness the full power of mobility to the extent that large businesses with fleet and IT managers do.

The next dimension of data services often appears to be an unknown and complicated challenge to SMEs. By providing this suite of business-enabling mobile applications, we are simplifying access to the key applications, offering immediate benefits and unlocking the potential for business on the move.""