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Vodafonewatch is a valued tool of companies and individuals both supplying and competing with Vodafone Group.

The independent monitor of Vodafone Group worldwide. A unique monthly report for the industry. Provides an intimate snapshot of Vodafone, with SWOT, political analysis, market share, activities, communication opportunities, threats, political factors, company background and structure, management, revenue, market segmentation, market research on its peers, with a focus on Vodafone UK, its market share, and resumes of the Vodafone annual reports - all presented in one handy monthly newsletter format!

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Table of Contents

Issue: 2005.11

Covering: 19 October to 17 November 2005

Published: 18 November 2005

Next issue: December 2005 The independent monitor of Vodafone Group worldwide. A unique monthly report for the industry. Summary Table of Contents IndexSUMMARY INTERIM RESULTS: Vodafone Group suffered at the hands of the market after the release of its interim results, primarily due to a fall in profits, weak forecasts and continued problems in Japan. Conversely, in operating terms, there were positives to be had ? 3G penetration is increasing, and both voice and data usage are on-the-up. [pp.2,19.]

GROUP: After a largely quiet period, Vodafone Group was back on the acquisition trial, making an investment in India (with a 10% stake in Bharti Tele-Ventures) and setting the ball rolling on a stake increase in South Africa?s Vodacom (to 50% from 35%). However, proving it is not all one-way traffic, Vodafone announced the sale of its Swedish arm to Telenor, offloading the struggling business in a ?1bn deal. [pp.20-21,22-23,24-26.]

Vodafone announced a deal with America Movil to offer roaming services in Latin America, together with dual-branded marketing campaigns. The Group also partnered with Universal Music Group to bolster its music offerings. [pp.26,27.]

Group deployment of previously-announced products continued, with the Simply product line expanded (with a new handset and territories) and Passport/Travel Promise offerings and 3G Router products also gaining traction. The introduction of mobile instant messaging products in conjunction with MSN continued. [pp.32,35,41,42,44,45.]

The rollout of Vodafone?s Now advertising campaign continued, supported by regional market research. HSDPA trials and demonstrations also went on. [pp.33,45,47,50,53,57.]

Vodafone Group continued its share buyback scheme, after the group allocated an additional ?2bn for purchases in its interim results. It benefited from a fall in its share price following market uncertainty after the results. [p.28.]

NORTHERN EUROPE: Vodafone was reported to be in talks with Swisscom over a joint bid for Danish incumbent TDC, which would result in a carve-up of mobile assets, although Vodafone?s exit from Sweden may indicate that the Nordics are not a priority. Separately Swisscom, which is eyeing Irish integrated telco eircom, said that its relationship with Vodafone is too valuable to jeopardise if it becomes a competitor in the Irish market. [pp.29,32.]

SFR has had a strong year-to-date, as customer base grew and ARPU increased (albeit slightly). Its Vodafone live! customer base was also on-the-up. Vodafone Ireland reported a strong six months, with ARPU remaining high. [pp.30,32?33.]

Vodafone Germany shelved a lawsuit over the tender process for a public service radio network, in the belief that the issue will be addressed by the country?s new government. The company again trumpeted its Zuhause fixed/mobile substitution products. [pp.30?31.]

Vodafone Ireland announced its Business Email offering, a Vodafone-branded rival to BlackBerry services. It also introduced its incarnation of Vodafone Group?s Data Channel Programme, to boost its sales through IT channels. [pp.34,35.]

Connex, Vodafone?s recently acquired Romanian business, launched its first advertising campaign using Vodafone-branding, introducing a Group presence to the market. Vodafone Sweden cut its tariffs (slightly), while introducing support for BlackBerry services from a range of devices. [pp.35,36.]

Vodafone UK launched Mobile TV services in conjunction with broadcaster BSkyB, with initial reports indicating strong take up ? but services are currently free, so whether this will be replicated by paying customers is still to be seen. The operator also launched vending machines for mobiles, branded 'terrorist specials' by the press. Some channel partners complained of 'starvation' when it came to prepaid connections. [pp.37,38,39.]

SOUTHERN EUROPE: Vodafone Egypt reported a strong performance in its second quarter, with an increase in profits and customer numbers, although an increasing prepaid customer base is taking its toll on ARPU. [pp.40?41.]

Vodafone Group is taking action over a Cypriot business trading as Vodafone Cyprus, seeking an injunction to stop it trading. Vodafone has a partner in the country, CYTA-Vodafone, which has exclusive rights with regard to brand and products. Meanwhile, complaints have been made over increased top-up charges for distributors of Vodafone Malta. [pp.40,43.]

Vodafone Greece announced bundled minute offerings for its prepaid customers, while Vodafone Malta extended an MMS deal. Vodafone Italy launched a promotion with supporting advertising campaign to increase video telephony usage. [pp.41,42,43

MTC-Vodafone, the Group?s Kuwaiti partner network, was reported to have scaled down its relationship with Vodafone, following its progression from single-territory operator to pan-Middle Eastern group. This has seen it coming head-to-head with Vodafone in certain expansion plays. [p.42.]

Vodafone Portugal targeted corporate customers with its Business Pro offering, covering tariffs, devices and specialised customer support. It also announced session-based pricing for push-to-talk services. [p.44.]

Vodafone Spain brought back its Mensamania tariff for the fourth time, offering bundled messages for a low sign-up fee. It also revamped its roaming services for business customers. [pp.45,46.]

AMERICAS: Verizon Wireless, the Group?s US affiliate, announced a continued strong performance, outpacing its competitors in the market. [p.48.]

APAC: As anticipated, Vodafone Australia launched commercial 3G services, confirming its coverage, service offerings, and device choices, echoing other Group deployments. It also announced a business tariff offering device credits in return for contract commitments. [pp.49-50,51.]

Vodafone Japan continued its mediocre (at best) performance, as the Group again iterated its commitment to the market. Talks with potential MVNO partners are still underway, as the market prepares for new entrants. [pp.52,53.]

Vodafone New Zealand trumpeted its device portfolio for the Christmas sales period, including a number of 3G devices being offered across group operating companies. It also touted a strong performance in its interim results, although a resurgent Telecom New Zealand is putting up a tough fight. Distributor Ingram Micro trumpeted Vodafone?s IT channel play, stating a lack of ?telco arrogance?. [pp.55,56.]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2 interim results, hi fy06

2 Group

11 Northern Europe

11 Southern Europe

17 Americas

18 APAC

20 Vodafone Group

20 Acquisitions and disposals

26 Products and services;

Suppliers;

Technology

27 Ratings

28 Financial;

People

29 Northern Europe

29 Czech Republic;

Denmark

30 France;

Germany

32 Hungary;

Ireland

35 Netherlands;

Romania;

Slovenia

36 Sweden

37 UK

40 Southern Europe MEA

40 Albania;

Cyprus;

Egypt

41 Greece; Italy

42 Kuwait

43 Malta

44 Portugal; Spain;

48 americas

48 US

49 APAC

49 Australia

52 Japan

55 New Zealand

58 INDEX

INDEX

Symbols

3

3Ireland, 33

3UK, 37

A

AAPT, 51

ABN Amro, 24

Alcatel, 44

America Movil, 26

Arcor, 11

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, 51

B

Bartle Bogle Hegarty, 38

BB Mobile, Japan, 54

Bharti Tele-Ventures, 20, 21

Boots, UK, 39

BPL Mobile, 21

BSkyB, 37, 38

BT Group, 21

C

Capital Group Companies, 28

Cartoon Network, 37

Channel 4, 38

China Mobile, 10

Cingular Wireless, 48

Cisco Systems, 45

Linksys, 45

Citigroup, 2

CNN, 37

CNSE, Spain, 46

ComReg, Ireland, 33

Crawford Bayley, 20

CWU Ireland, 32

CYTA-Vodafone, 40

D

Data Connect, 39

Deutsche Bahn, 30

Deutsche Bank, 24

Deutsche Telekom, 11

Disney, 44

Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, 20, 23, 24

E

eircom, 33

Meteor, 33

Electronic Arts, 57

EMI, 55

eMobile, Japan, 54

Ericsson, 53

European Union, 22, 41, 43

Ezurio, 21

F

FT.com (Pearson), 53

Fujitsu, 38

G

GRTU, Malta, 43

H

Helenic Football Federation, Greece, 41

Hewlett-Packard, 33

HiF, Hungary, 32

HTC, 32

Hutchison Whampoa, 51

Hutch Essar, 21

I

i-mate, 55

IBM, 33

ILOG, 46

ING, 24

Ingram Micro, 56

Inland Revenue, 2

Intel, 36

Intertrust, 22

IPMobile, Japan, 54

J

JP Morgan, 40

K

KDDI, 52, 53

L

Linklaters, 20

Linksys, 45

M

Maltacom

Go Mobile, 43

Manchester United, 43

McCann Erickson, 42

Mediaset, 42

Merrill Lynch, 2

Microsoft, 33, 35, 41

MSN, 35, 41

Mobile Commerce, 56

mobilkom Austria

Si.mobil, 35

Morgan Stanley, 24

Motorola, 31, 32, 49, 50, 55

MTC, 42

MTC-Vodafone, 42

MTV, 37

N

NEC Group, 52

neuf cegetel, 11, 30

Nextel, 55

Nokia, 33, 36, 44, 46, 49

Nortel, 47

NTT DoCoMo, 52, 53

O

O2, 33

O2 Ireland, 33

Open Mobile Alliance, 22

OptionInternational, 21

Orange, 37

Ovum, 22

P

Pannon GSM, 32

Phones4U, 36

Polkomtel, 29

PowerTel, 51

Primus Telecom, 51

Primus Telecom Australia, 51

R

Red Cross, 45

Research In Motion, 13, 33, 35, 36, 44, 46, 47, 51

BlackBerry, 13, 33, 35, 36, 44, 46, 47, 51

rockdirect, 36

RPG Group

RPG Cellular, 20

S

Safaricom, 25

Sagem, 31, 45, 55

Samsung, 30, 49, 55

SFR, 9, 30

Sharptext, 34

Sharp Electronics, 49, 52, 53, 55

Si.mobil Vodafone, 35

Siemens, 31, 47

SingTel, 21

Sony, 33, 36, 49, 53, 55

Sony BMG, 55

Sony Ericsson, 33, 36, 49

Sprint, 55

Superscape, 21

Swisscom, 29, 33

Swisscom Mobile, 29, 33

Symbian, 33, 36

SymbianOS, 33, 36

T

T-Mobile International, 32

Hungary, 32

TDC Mobil, 29

Technology

3G, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 27, 30, 31, 32, 34, 36, 37, 38, 41, 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57

Billing, 46

Bluetooth, 21

CDMA 450, 22

CRM, 46

DRM, 22

DSL, 44

DVB, 47

EV-DO, 17

FeliCa, 53

GSM-BOS, 30

HSDPA, 4, 11, 45, 47, 53

MMS, 17, 30, 43, 45

PDA, 44, 55

Push-to-talk, 44, 47

SIM, 14, 38

Symbian OS, 33, 36

TETRA, 30

W-LAN, 31, 32, 36, 45

Windows, 32, 33, 55

Telecommunications Carriers Association, Japan, 52

Telecoms Sans Frontieres, 54

Telecom Italia Mobile, 42

Telecom New Zealand, 55, 57

Telenor, 9, 22, 23

Telkom, Kenya, 24, 25

Telsim, 42

TelstraClear, 57

Think Media, 54

Toshiba, 31, 52

TOYOTSU SYSCOM, 54

Twentieth Century Fox, 55

U

UNICEF, 54

Universal Music Group, 27, 55

V

VenFin, 24

Verizon Communications, 48

Verizon Wireless, 4, 17, 26, 48

Vianet, 38

Visto, 33, 34

Vivendi Universal, 30

Universal Music, 27, 55

Vodacom, 24, 25, 26

Vodafone

Americas, 18

USA, 4, 17, 26, 48

APAC

Australia, 49, 50, 51

China, 10

Japan, 2, 5, 18, 19, 52, 53, 54

New Zealand, 55, 56, 57

Data Channel Programme, 34

Executives

Elder, Teresa, 33

Gray-Spencer, Rosie, 50

Guindani, Pietro, 15

Hewitt, Russell, 49

Iles, Mark, 51

Joussen, Friedrich, 12

Laurence, Guy, 27

Lennon, Carolan, 34

Morrow, Bill, 19, 52

Nozoe, Masayuki, 53

Pitt, Michael, 53

Sarin, Arun, 4, 20, 21, 22, 24

Sullivan, David, 56

Wallstrom, Klas, 36

Yates, Tim, 37

Northern Europe

Albania, 40

Arcor, 11

Czech Republic, 29, 32, 43

France, 9, 11, 30

Germany, 11, 12, 19, 21, 30, 31, 32, 46

Hungary, 32

Ireland, 2, 32, 33, 34, 35

Netherlands, 35

Poland, 29

Romania, 32, 35, 43

Sweden, 2, 22, 23, 29, 36

Switzerland, 29, 33

UK, 14, 36, 37, 38, 39

One Vodafone, 5, 23

Partner Network, 22

Products

a la Carte, 41

BlackBerry, 13, 33, 35, 36, 44, 46, 47, 51

Business Cap, 51

Business Email, 33, 34

Business Passport, 46

Infinity Video, 42

live!, 3, 7, 9, 13, 15, 21, 25, 27, 30, 31, 35, 41, 52, 53, 56, 57

live! with 3G, 35, 37, 44, 47, 49, 55

Love Flat-rate, 52

Mensamania, 45

MobileTV, 31

Mobile Connect, 7, 14, 21, 36, 44, 47, 49, 50, 51

Mobile TV, 11, 30, 37, 38, 45, 50, 55

Passport, 3, 14, 27, 43, 46

Perfect Fit, 13

Pick-And-Mix, 56

Quickphone, 38

Real Mail, 33, 46, 47

Stop the Clock, 13

SuperCap, 49

Travel Promise, 27, 32, 43

Vitamina, 47

Vodafone Pro, 44

Vodafone Simply, 42, 45, 47, 55

Vodafone Travel Promise, 32, 43

Vodafone World, 27

VPA, 32, 33

VPA IV, 32

Wireless Office, 21, 46, 47

Zuhause, 11, 12, 31

Southern Europe, MEA

Egypt, 25, 40, 41

Greece, 41

Italy, 15, 19, 41, 42

Kenya, 25

Malta, 43

Portugal, 44, 45

South Africa, 24, 25, 26

Spain, 16, 17, 20, 44, 45, 46, 47

W

Warburg Pincus, 20

Warner Music, 55

Wieden & Kennedy, 38

WPP

J Walter Thompson Co., 38, 50

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