Business News of Saturday, 18 September 2010

Source: GNA

Vodafone launches BlackBerry in Ghana

Accra, Sept. 18, GNA - Vodafone Ghana and Research In Motion (RIM), on Saturday outdoor one of the world's smart-mobile-phone "BlackBerry" brand to the Ghanaian telecommunication market. Features of the Vodafone Blackberry solution include smartphone software, sound communication, calendar portal, multimedia and other inbuilt apparatus that allow easy wireless access to the world wide web, and extra security for business and lifestyle applications. Speaking at the launch in Accra, Mr William A. Darkah, Head of Enterprise Operations, Vodafone Ghana, said the introduction of the new product was inline with the company's promise to its customers to provide reliable service and product as part of it forth night camping dubbed "Power to You". BlackBerry is a line of mobile e-mail and smartphone devices, developed and designed by Canadian company (RIM) since 1996 as a personal digital assistant with address book, calendar and to-do list capabilities. It also functions as a portable media player with video playback and camera facilities and has the ability to send and receive (push) Internet e-mail wherever mobile network service coverage is present. According to Mr Darkah, "BlackBerry is mainly a messaging phone with the largest array of messaging features in a smartphone, which includes auto-text, auto-correct, text prediction, support for many languages, keyboard shortcuts, text emoticons, push email, push Facebook and Myspace notifications, among others." Mr Marc Norris, Director, Consumer Fixed Vodafone Ghana, said users of smart-mobile-phone would enjoy the freedom and productivity benefits of staying in touch with their family and business panthers through the numerous technological offers. "For the first time in the country, Vodafone prepaid customers can get daily unlimited browsing and electronic mails for only GH¢ 5.00; weekly unlimited browsing and e-mails for GHC 15.00 and monthly unlimited browsing, emails with 100 minutes of calls and 50 Short Messaging Service (SMS) for GHS 45.00. "Vodafone Ghana offers the full and current range of BlackBerry devices offering our customers the mobility, convenience, security and efficiency that is necessary to run their virtual office," Mr Norris stated. He explained that Vodafone customers on post-paid service would also enjoy 100 minutes of calls to all networks in countries including Ghana, the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom (fixed only). Mr Norris said that the package also includes three gigabytes of data for GHC 35.00 per month. He said that "For as little as GHC 75.00 per month, post-paid customers will receive a free BlackBerry smartphones, enjoy 400 minutes of calls to all networks in Ghana, the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom (fixed only), as well as three gigabytes of data, 200 free SMS and free calls among their user group. Mr Deon Liebenberg, Regional Director of RIM for Sub-Sahara Africa, said: "Successful businesses in the 21st century would require superior technological solutions that give them the edge over their competitors. He said, the Blackberry storm, Blackberry curve 8900, 8520, Blackberry bold 9700, smartphones are well balanced mobile phones that deliver advanced features, refined usability and stylish designs.