LONDON-European operator MmO2 offered details on uptake of its mobile data services. The company said it has 643,000 GPRS users and 60,000 active customers for its recently launched O2 Active service, which offers ring tones, multimedia messaging service, games, music video, information and pictures through a color icon menu.
In addition, MmO2 said it nearly doubled the number of active MMS users during the past two months to more than 180,000. The number of Java games purchased increased to more than 500,000.
To continue its mobile data run, the operator announced further plans for its own-branded integrated personal digital assistant and mobile phone, the XDA, and will launch the XDAII later this year. The new device should be available in the United Kingdom, Germany and Ireland before Christmas.
The new device will include a built-in camera and Java technology. It will also be tri-band, making it usable worldwide. The operator said more than 64,000 current XDA devices have been sold in the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland and Asia.
The U.K.-based operator will also launch ICQ mobile instant messaging services, following its agreement with America Online Inc. The services are expected to roll out in the United Kingdom this fall.
Finally, MmO2 announced plans to launch public wireless local area network services in the United Kingdom later this year and increase the number of its sites in Germany to complement its GRPS networks. The operator said there will be 1,000 Wi-Fi sites across Europe, including more than 100 in Germany. The operator said it will concentrate on providing WLAN access in key locations by partnering with third-party site owners and wireless Internet service providers, keeping its Wi-Fi investment low.
