Technology / Internet
Orange's SMS platform to bring Google's services to African customers
28 Jul 2011 at 12:53hrs | Views
Johannesburg - Telecommunications operator Orange and web giant Google on Thursday announced a strategic partnership that would leverage Orange's SMS platform to bring Google's services to African customers.
Google has made a strong move by creating an alliance with France Telecom Orange, to bring basic data services such as Gmail Chat to low end handsets, using the cellco's SMS networks.
The agreement would facilitate access to the growing mobile internet market in Africa, both groups said.
Orange noted that, at the end of 2010, only 1.4% of the population in Africa and the Middle East had access to broadband services, compared with 62.5% for mobile services.
The group said that, through the development of SMS-based services operating on all mobile networks (including GSM), Orange and Google would extend the reach of a wide range of internet services that were previously limited to smartphone and broadband users (through 3G, CDMA or WiMax networks) to all Orange mobile customers.
Orange boasted a total customer base of about 60 million across the continent.
Orange, the most active of the European giants in expanding in Africa and the Middle East, has also been particularly enthusiastic about such mass market data offerings. In its deal with Google, it will enable its customers in Africa and the Middle East to access Gmail Chat and other text-based apps via SMS in areas where there is limited availability of web access via PCs or more advanced phones. The Gmail SMS chat service is available initially in Senegal, Uganda and Kenya and will eventually be launched across the whole area, and the partnership will be extended to other services in the future.
Through Google SMS, African mobile customers would benefit from a wide range of Google services via SMS.
Orange and Google launched this service in Senegal in July 2010, where it has been a huge success.
Uptake exceeded expectations, with almost 700 000 unique users and four million messages sent by SMS in the first six months, the groups said.
The service, which was also already live in Uganda and Kenya, would be launched in the coming months, with the support of the group's technology centre in Abidjan for Orange customers in Cameroon, the Ivory Coast, Guinea Conakry and Niger.
Excluding its presence in Europe, Orange currently covers several countries from Africa to the Middle East, while Gmail SMS Chat has already started in Kenya, Senegal and Uganda.
In the upcoming months, five more countries will also start using the service, including Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea Conakry and Niger, and a trial phase for Mobinil in Egypt.
Google and Orange intend to offer more than Gmail SMS Chat as both companies extend the deal with other Google services.
Over 60 million Orange network subscribers live in Africa.
Google has made a strong move by creating an alliance with France Telecom Orange, to bring basic data services such as Gmail Chat to low end handsets, using the cellco's SMS networks.
The agreement would facilitate access to the growing mobile internet market in Africa, both groups said.
Orange noted that, at the end of 2010, only 1.4% of the population in Africa and the Middle East had access to broadband services, compared with 62.5% for mobile services.
The group said that, through the development of SMS-based services operating on all mobile networks (including GSM), Orange and Google would extend the reach of a wide range of internet services that were previously limited to smartphone and broadband users (through 3G, CDMA or WiMax networks) to all Orange mobile customers.
Orange boasted a total customer base of about 60 million across the continent.
Orange, the most active of the European giants in expanding in Africa and the Middle East, has also been particularly enthusiastic about such mass market data offerings. In its deal with Google, it will enable its customers in Africa and the Middle East to access Gmail Chat and other text-based apps via SMS in areas where there is limited availability of web access via PCs or more advanced phones. The Gmail SMS chat service is available initially in Senegal, Uganda and Kenya and will eventually be launched across the whole area, and the partnership will be extended to other services in the future.
Orange and Google launched this service in Senegal in July 2010, where it has been a huge success.
Uptake exceeded expectations, with almost 700 000 unique users and four million messages sent by SMS in the first six months, the groups said.
The service, which was also already live in Uganda and Kenya, would be launched in the coming months, with the support of the group's technology centre in Abidjan for Orange customers in Cameroon, the Ivory Coast, Guinea Conakry and Niger.
Excluding its presence in Europe, Orange currently covers several countries from Africa to the Middle East, while Gmail SMS Chat has already started in Kenya, Senegal and Uganda.
In the upcoming months, five more countries will also start using the service, including Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea Conakry and Niger, and a trial phase for Mobinil in Egypt.
Google and Orange intend to offer more than Gmail SMS Chat as both companies extend the deal with other Google services.
Over 60 million Orange network subscribers live in Africa.
Source - www.news24.com
