S60 becomes more Orange
Published by Rafe Blandford at 18:03 UTC, October 4th 2006
Orange and Nokia today announced that they would be working together to customise S60 for Orange signature devices. S60 is one of Orange's preferred software platforms. The Orange signature device program includes those devices which express or enhance the Orange brand and lifestyle with an emphasis on high end devices.
Orange and Nokia will work together to create an Orange specific software package to complement S60 running on Symbian OS and to accelerate the device customisation process. This will benefit device manufacturers by reducing development costs and time to market. Orange will benefit by getting key new devices to its customer base more quickly than has previously been possible. Joint activities include testing Orange specifc software, aligning roadmaps (which will allow new features and technologies to reach the market more quickly) and closer co-operation between each companies respective developer organisations Orange Partner and Forum Nokia.
It is likely that the device customisation will use the new XML customisation framework first introduced in S60 3rd Edition and expanded to the wider application shell environment in S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1. The device is likely to focus not only on Orange branding but adding items to menus to link direct to Orange services.
This announcement is similar to Vodafone selection of S60 as a preferred platform at 3GSM in February of this year. It is part of a wider trend which is seeing operators standardise around specific platforms for significant portions of their device portfolios.
"This announcement is part of Orange's ongoing Signature strategy, which is aimed at delivering a consistent customer experience across our range of devices," said Yves Maitre, Vice President, Devices, Orange. "By working with Nokia and S60 on Symbian OS we plan to bring increased consistency and efficiency to our signature customization process. This benefits both handset manufactures and customers through an enhanced service experience and faster time to market."
"The collaboration is an example of the depth of our relationship with Orange," said Matti Vänskä, Vice President, Mobile Software Sales and Marketing, Nokia. "It also demonstrates S60 software's ability to respond to various market requirements and further strengthens S60 software's position in the market. At the same time it reinforces the role of S60 software on Symbian OS for device creation and enables innovation from software developers."
Orange Partner are holding a partner event, the Orange Partner Camp, in Cadiz from the 23rd to 25th October. Orange will be holding several sessions on its device and platform strategy at this event.
Categories: Software, Developer
Platforms: Series 60, S60 3rd Edition
News Discussion
steve_perry
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Rafe
Orange and Nokia today announced that they would be working together to customise S60 for Orange signature devices. S60 is one of Orange's preferred software platforms. The Orange signature device program includes those devices which express or enhance the Orange brand and lifestyle with an emphasis on high end devices.
Read on in the full article. |
Rafe,
Sorry mate, my next comments are not intended as a dig at you or AAS but are they (Orange & Nokia) taking the p|$$ with this announcement?? Threads like the following which discuss the current situation about both Orange and Nokia and their support (or lack of) of certain N series Nokia handsets makes a mockery of their marketing spiel. :rolleyes: :icon13:
Orange unimpressed with N-series
Another discussion at discussions.nokia.co.uk
Apologies again but I really did laugh out loud on reading about this joint venture.
S.
Rafe
Completely fair comment and an issue I do intend to look into at the upcoming Orange Partner camp if at all possible. I was suprised when I got this news - after all Orange don't have good record so far with the S60 3rd Edition devices... The N80 situation is interesting as they stopped the update the version before the decent stable one.
Clearly though things looks like they might change - its not a small investment we're talking about here - it is a major strategic decision. May be its partly be bought on by the problem they have had with integration / testing the S60 devices so far?
stuclark
This made me laugh as well... lots of people know my hatered of the Orange "simplification" of everything, including removing the best features of S60 when butchered (sorry "updated") with the orange firmware.
I remember bugging Nokia and Orange at the Smartphone show last year - trying to get a good answer out of either of them about the situation they had then with refusing to support / update the N70. It's a pity the same situation still exists a year down the line...
Slartibartfast
As one of the call centre staff said, Lord knows why a bunch of muppets in Bristol think they know more about UIs than the likes of NOKIA, SE etc...
Having suffered the Orange "home page" on my P910i I shudder to imagine what garbage they'll come up with now.
Slart.
dave_a
I am actually quite happy to read this as it will prevent me from upgrading early and make me wait until I am at the end of my contract so I can leave orange. Something I should have done years ago.
Williamoni
I spent a year unhappy that my 6680 had been modified by Orange so that the Standby screen didn't do what it was supposed to. I'm delighted that I have now left Orange, have an N70, and it behaves in the way it was designed to. Orange don't seem to get that we want the phone to do what the manual says it will!
langdona
Yes I do wonder why these phone comanies want to brand their own devices?
Most people probably dont even know their phone is branded. Everyone else complains to a greater or lesser extent about the branding on their phone and would like to get rid of it.
I've never head a positive comment about a phones branding and I have derfinately not heard anyone say you must change to Orange (Vodafone, 02, etc) because they brand their phones so well.
All branding does is delay the release date of a device, reduce its reliablility and function and makes it harder to upgrade. Oh and it also costs a lot in development time which we the consumer end up paying for in the end.
When are they going to realise branding damages their brand image and not as they seem to think enhance it.
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