LONDON-Orange has formed a new alliance with Motorola Inc. for a range of devices tailored to the Orange brand that will be available in the second half of the year. The Motorola V500 and V600 handsets will include flip screens, Bluetooth, integrated cameras, full-color browsers, quad-band functionality, Java gaming and photo messaging.
The European operator also said it has signed more than 1 million users to its OrangeWorld Services data offering across Europe, including 800,000 in France and 300,000 in the United Kingdom. Orange said it is on track to reach its goal of having 25 percent of total revenues from data by 2005. Its 2002 revenues included 11 percent from data.
The operator said a key driver for its data target is the Orange signature device strategy, which includes unique Orange menus and specific Orange applications. More operators are looking to differentiate their handsets, while some handset makers are reluctant to reduce the visibility of their own brands.
The handset deal could help Motorola increase its European presence. Orange also worked with Microsoft on its SPV smart phone and said it will work with Nokia Corp. and Symbian to deliver a “Nokia device with an Orange experience on it.”
