14 DAY TRIAL // Wireless carrier Orange announced on Wednesday that it signed a multi-year strategic agreement with Google, through which it becomes the first operator to deliver the Google Mobile App to its users. According to the two companies, the partnership is aimed at offering easy access to mobile search and geo-location services for Orange's users, which will enjoy one-click access to Google Mobile App on the Orange homescreen. The features that users will benefit from with the new application include search options, access to the Orange mobile portal, and to a series of other Google products and services.
The Google Mobile App will be deployed by the wireless carrier on various Orange Signature phones, in a phased process. For the beginning, the operator will include it with Signature Android handsets, and the company also announced that UK and France users would receive Google mobile search results that will include content from the operator's mobile portal. Starting with October, handsets like LG Eve (France, Spain), HTC Tattoo (France, UK, Spain) and HTC Hero (France) will come with a series of special services, including the Orange Email Wizard, which is aimed at enabling users to enjoy their mobile email services in a single place.
Raoul Roverato, executive vice-president for New Growth Business, Orange, says, "People want easy access to the best content and services on the Web on any screen. At Orange, we have developed a range of applications that our mobile customers can directly access from their homescreen, such as Orange TV, Orange Games, My Social Place or My Social Life and the Orange mobile portal.” Raoul adds, “This partnership will also let us give customers direct access to the best Google applications across a large part of our Signature portfolio, combining the strength of two leading brands to create and deliver the kind of content people want to find and use on their mobile.”
The Google Mobile App is also expected to come to other Orange Signature devices, including those running under Symbian S60, RIM's BlackBerry OS and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile. The app will offer users links to Orange's mobile portal, Google News, Google Maps and Google Mail. Users will also have the possibility to browse and download applications relevant to them, the mobile phone carrier added. Orange's customers will benefit from a Google Mobile App search experience that has been designed so as to offer results combined with Orange’s mobile search results, the operator said.
“Google Mobile App makes it easier than ever for people to find and use information that matters to them when they’re on the move. Partnering with Orange is a great opportunity for us to provide their customers across Europe with instant access to the web,” Vic Gundotra, vice-president of engineering at Google, stated. Olaf Swantee, senior executive vice president, Personal Communication Services Orange, added: “Through this partnership we continue to deliver on our promise to make the mobile Internet even more pervasive to our customers. As the first operator to partner with Google in this way, we are setting a benchmark for openness in the mobile industry that inspires our customers, builds loyalty and helps grow our business.”