Disqus
So the first of my two posts on what the UK operators are currently promo-ing on their websites (as of 25/1/09), begins with Vodafone and Orange….
Vodafone
… are very strongly pushing Mobile Broadband, the BlackBerry Storm, and their 2009 offers – fairplay really, you’ve got to play to your strengths, and the Storm is something they’ve invested heavily in promoting in the UK.
Is it a sign of the times that there is a ‘sale’ of sorts (offers…) going on? Probably. But nice to see that Vodafone have a clean and easily-viewable site design going on now. I’m not a big fan of overpopulation of the homescreen!
Orange
Orange has a very different attitude to layout – on the leftmost side of the screen is one of the longest vertical nav. bars that I have seen in ages! Overall, the page seems to be a lot more cosmopolitan, with much in the way of lifestyle, search, and even weather on the page. If you want to know about mobile stuff per se (i.e. what they are punting), then you really need to click off to the “shop” link… is that a good move?
Both the Vodafone and Orange pages work in different ways, and I think including a screenshot (valid only for the time I captured them at about 11pm on 25/1/09) in thumbnail actually helps draw out the differences. The striking use of corp colouring is evident, but also note Orange’s very text-laden approach.
Let’s check out O2, 3, and T-Mobile, in a post coming to you soon!
[Note: 'punting' is slang for 'selling' in the UK, and I'd imagine, lots of other places 
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About The Author
Ben Robinson
Ben is a 10+ year veteran of the Mobile industry – starting his career when SMS was a still a relatively new concept for most people (!), he has now consulted on everything from bleeding-edge Mobile content, to the next-gen accessories you might view it on. As a result he has a broad and deep knowledge in numerous areas of Mobile – from network operators to device vendors, to infrastructure and middleware vendors (not to mention content delivery) – and has worked for companies in all of these areas! He is based in the UK, a hotbed of activity for mobile, and recently became a father for the second time – as oppose to in his younger years when he was happy spend time tweaking all manner of mobile devices to 'nth' degree, he now looks for services and hardware that provide the most efficient, compact, and reliable improvements to his already manic life! It’s his opinion that Mobile solutions should be there to help to make your life better – if a particular solution (be it service or device) isn’t doing this, he believes you need to ask the very important question of why you continue to use it... His focus at IntoMobile is mainly on Mobile content, services, and infrastructure, particularly as regards the UK market – and with the occasional look at devices. Additionally, using his extensive experience in the industry, he will provide commentary on the industry at large, with regular (and hopefully thought-provoking) articles.
