Orange Launches Push to Talk Service With Treo 600
Orange has launched a new international service, similar to the US Push to Talk, that offers instant voice communication and easy-to-access group calling and messaging with a real-time availability icon. The Talk Now service is now being trailed with the Treo 600.
Talk Now, similar to the US Push-To-Talk service but with a more advanced feature-set and richer functionality - will give Orange customers a new way of communicating alongside their existing voice and messaging services. Talk Now will be launched in 10 countries this year, starting with the UK and France in Q2 2004.
Building on the Orange Experience, which promises to be simple, compelling and personal, Talk Now creates an immediate connection between two or more mobile phones so minimal time is spent searching for or dialling individual telephone numbers. You can see who is available to speak or receive single or group messages instantly. Talk Now will also allow Orange customers to:
• create buddy lists that can be used to facilitate instant conference calling
• know when contacts are available to talk and when they are busy
• speak to or message a contact who has selected themselves as available
• record a conference call and send it to others if they are not available
• send a voice message to other Talk Now™ users at the touch of a button
Talk Now will be available internationally allowing customers easy, instant access to colleagues, friends and family in a different country who use the service. Orange expects to attract one million users to the new service in the 12 months following rollout.
Speaking at the launch in London, Sol Trujillo, CEO, Orange Group, said: “As we are the first to launch in the world we are offering something no other company can offer. Talk Now provides the business community with an immediate and reliable way to better manage teams of people within an organisation. It addresses a real need amongst businesses to disseminate or communicate time critical information quickly and efficiently. The service also provides consumers with an ideal way to keep in touch with friends and family by making it easy to instantly communicate with each other as a group at the touch of a button.”
The launch follows Orange research into customer needs, and successful customer trials by companies including IBM and the RAC. The RAC is already actively exploring the value of instant messaging and is looking to see if this can be extended into the wireless arena. The RAC is investigating the Orange Talk Now service as a possible wireless Instant Messaging solution.
The service is scalable and will benefit from added functionality throughout the year. Talk Now will initially be available on the Orange Treo 600 – an Orange Signature phone - with further handsets announced later in Q2, including rugged devices for field-workers and consumer-style handsets.
With the added functionality that it offers, Talk Now will be offered as a premium service. Full pricing details will be available nearer commercial availability, with pricing bundles geared toward specific customer markets.
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RE: Can't wait to try this baby
Stephen
RE: Can't wait to try this baby
-Bosco
NX80v + Wifi + BT + T616
RE: Can't wait to try this baby
Actually, I think the "my life is complete" comment was referring to the phone, not being the first to post, hence the title "Can't wait to try this baby".
But of course, you were too busy looking for someone to slam to actually read the post in context, weren't you? Well, I hope it made you feel like less of a loser, anyway.
_________________
Sean
Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.
RE: Can't wait to try this baby
I hate to go OT, but I actually agree with stephen007 in regards to 'first-posting'. Only, I choose to ignore it rather than reply.
I personally find it annoying and it never adds anything to the discussion. YMMV. Even the subject of the parent poster left me wondering: "And...?" Besides, I believe that it could have gone either way from the way it was worded.
I don't blame this first-poster, but just first-posting in general. It encourages others to do so without bringing anything worth discussing to the table, breeding more "Me too!"s, only to then get out of hand once popularity grows (just look at what happened to Slashdot).
I remember when PIC used to be civilized (well, as civilized as forums can get amidst some flame wars, i.e. Palm vs. Sony) with light humor spread evenly. Though, it honestly doesn't bother me as much when there's actually some substance in the comment with a 'first post' snuck in.
Sorry for the long rant. I'm sure there are people who don't agree. That's fine, but I had to get that off my chest.
Jim
RE: Can't wait to try this baby
and will keep it in my pants until Ed Hardy comes back.
Zodiac2/T616
Treos can now be unlocked easily - Palm is in deep trouble
A much more important story broke yesterday when a group of hackers at Treocentral found a way to unlock GSM Treo 600 by using files found when someone's Treo crashed during an upgrade. Carriers like Orange are going to go ballistic when they see all their subsidized phones getting unlocked. The danger of these smart-phones has always been how easy it might be to unlock them. Now we see those fear were well-founded. Palm better try to fix this latest disaster PRONTO.
http://discussion.treocentral.com/tcforum/-t46561/s.html
It's just too big.
RE: Treos can now be unlocked easily - Palm is in deep trouble
RE: Treos can now be unlocked easily - Palm is in deep trouble
Yeah right. A whole lotta "contractors, public service folks, not to mention Police and Fire officials" carry around a fragile $600 phone that seems to break every time you even look at it funny. Or maybe you think the Treo 600's blurry, low res camera will make it worth buying?
The Treo 600 is a nice smart phone, but it looks like Palm's getting caught up in the features race when they should be concentrating on the BASICS. They need to fix the phone, speakerphone, quality control, low res screen, SDIO, lack of removable battery, external antenna, SD card slot that keeps ejecting cards, lack of voice recorder, lack of profiles, quiet ringtones, lack of Bluetooth, rattling buttons, blurry camera, screwed-up headphone jack and other problems BEFORE they add even more crap that can just go wrong.
Here's a tip - there's a reason so many teens carry those cheap-ass PTT phones: they're cheap.
It's just too big.
RE: Treos can now be unlocked easily - Palm is in deep trouble
RE: Treos can now be unlocked easily - Palm is in deep trouble
First is Verizzon, and third is TELUS Mobility up here in Canada.
NEXTEL specializes in PTT with their Motorola iDEN technology phones.
I see this PTT service going above and beyond, especially for business users. The mere fact that you can be on "AWAY" status on your phone, and let everyone else know who has you as their contact is simply amazing. It's basically mobile ICQ/MSN w/ voice. It's going to be huge.
I can't wait.
Cheers,
var
RE: Treos can now be unlocked easily - Palm is in deep troub
Second I don't understand why unlocking the phone is such a huge issue? I am still tied into my $35 a month contract with Orange which includes 120 minutes of outward calls to any number.
I would be keen to try the Orange PTT solution.
Edward Green
--
http://www.khite.co.uk
RE: Treos can now be unlocked easily - Palm is in deep trouble
Yes, and Orange won't be the only ones to benefit. Verizon and Sprint have these same features that you mention above on their PTT services as well (Although Verizon's PTT service is @sstacularly bad). What Orange did to go over and above was to take it international. This is a great step for PTT, and for wireless service in general as it could be the start of a trend to be compatible worldwide, bringing an industry of fragmented protocols and standards closer together.
_________________
Sean
Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.
RE: Treos can now be unlocked easily - Palm is in deep trouble
Uhhh, I could be wrong, but if I remember correctly, the list of subscribers goes something like this.....
1) Verizon
2) Cingular
3) Sprint
4) AT&T
5) Nextel
6) T-Mobile
Personally, I can't stand PTT, I don't see the point of it. Thats just what I need, one of my idiot friends to start talking out of my phone while I'm standing in line or something. Are you so impatient that you can't wait 15 seconds for someone to answer their phone?
RE: Treos can now be unlocked easily - Palm is in deep trouble
"The Treo 600 is a nice smart phone, but it looks like Palm's getting caught up in the features race when they should be concentrating on the BASICS. They need to fix the phone, speakerphone, quality control, low res screen, SDIO, lack of removable battery, external antenna, SD card slot that keeps ejecting cards, lack of voice recorder, lack of profiles, quiet ringtones, lack of Bluetooth, rattling buttons, blurry camera, screwed-up headphone jack and other problems BEFORE they add even more crap that can just go wrong."
Insults not withstanding..
My statement is based on what I've seen in the industry I work in.
RE: Treos can now be unlocked easily - Palm is in deep trouble
First is Verizzon, and third is TELUS Mobility up here in Canada.
Living in the tundra must have frozen your brain, Nanook.
1) Verizon
2) Cingular
3) AT&T (or maybe 2nd)
4) Sprint
Nextel is in the top 20 countdown, though. Congratulations.
I didn't say no one likes PTT. It seems as though millions of those Nextel idiots are out there screaming into their walkie talkies everywhere I go. But not too many people paying for $600 phones (to the Brit above, North Americans pay $300 - $600+ for their Treo 600) will be obnoxious enough to want PTT. Fortunately.
PTT = Phones for Trailer Trash.
'Nuff said.
It's just too big.
RE: Push to talk!
RE: Push to talk!
_________________
Sean
Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.
Nextel's missing a chock-full
In a Desolate Forest, an enchanted Palm-Powered Handheld is waiting to possess a helpless soul in the wake--The Palm-Powered Handheld's name is EURENZANNIG.
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Can't wait to try this baby
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