Vodafone
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Vodafone is a multinational mobile phone operator with headquarters in Newbury, Berkshire, United Kingdom and Düsseldorf, Germany. It is the largest mobile telecommunications network company in the world, with equity interests in 26 countries and Partner Networks (networks in which it has no equity stake) in a further 14 countries.
At 31 March 2005 Vodafone had 154.8 million proportionate customers in 26 markets. ("Proportionate customers" means for example that if Vodafone has a 30% stake in a business with a million customers that is counted as 300,000). Vodafone is listed on the London Stock Exchange as Vodafone Group (LSE:VOD.L (http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/q?d=t&s=VOD.L)) and New York Stock Exchange, symbol VOD.
Vodafone stands for VOice-DAta-FONE.
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Management
- Chairman - Ian MacLaurin, Lord MacLaurin of Knebworth
- Deputy Chairman - Paul Hazen
- Chief Executive - Arun Sarin
- Chief Operating Officer - Sir Julian Horn-Smith
- Chief Marketing Officer - Peter Bamford
- Chief Technology Officer - Thomas Geitner
Vodafone in Europe
Vodafone currently operates in the following countries in the European region:
- Albania - Vodafone Albania Website (http://www.vodafone.al/)
- Austria - A1 Website (http://www.a1.net/)
- Belgium - Proximus Website (http://www.proximus.be/)
- Croatia - VIP (mobile operator) Website (http://www.vipnet.hr/)
- Cyprus - Cyta Website (http://www.cyta.com.cy/)
- Czech Republic - Oskar (mobile operator) Website (http://www.oskarmobil.cz/)
- Denmark - TDC Mobil Website (http://www.tdcmobil.dk/)
- Estonia - Radiolinja Website (http://www.radiolinja.ee/)
- Finland - Elisa (mobile operator) Website (http://www.radiolinja.fi/)
- France - SFR Website (http://www.sfr.fr/)
- Germany - Vodafone Germany Website (http://www.vodafone.de)
- Greece - Vodafone Greece Website (http://www.vodafone.gr)
- Hungary - Vodafone Hungary Website (http://www.vodafone.hu)
- Iceland - Og Vodafone Website (http://www.ogvodafone.is/)
- Ireland - Vodafone Ireland Website (http://www.vodafone.ie)
- Italy - Vodafone Italy Website (http://www.190.it)
- Lithuania - BITE (mobile operator Website (http://www.bite.lt/)
- Luxembourg - LUXGSM Website (http://www.ept.lu/)
- Malta - Vodafone Malta Website (http://www.vodafone.com.mt/)
- Netherlands - Vodafone Netherlands Website (http://www.vodafone.nl)
- Poland - Plus GSM Website (http://www.plusgsm.pl/)
- Portugal - Vodafone Portugal Website (http://www.vodafone.pt/)
- Romania - Connex Website (http://www.connex.ro/)
- Slovenia - Si.mobil-Vodafone Website (http://www.simobil.si/)
- Spain - Vodafone Spain Website (http://www.vodafone.es)
- Sweden - Vodafone Sweden Website (http://www.vodafone.se/)
- Switzerland - Swisscom Website (http://www.swisscom.com/)
- United Kingdom - Vodafone United Kingdom Website (http://www.vodafone.co.uk)
History
- 1985-01-01: First phone call on Vodafone United Kingdom's Analogue network. This event was staged, due to a network failure; the first calls actually being made the next day. The first call was made to Vodafone head office - which was at that point above a curry house in Newbury, where the company remains today.
- October 1991: Racal Telecom is demerged from Racal Electronics and becomes Vodafone Group.
- June 1992: Vodafone Germany's (still as "Mannesmann Mobilfunk GmbH") network went live.
- July 1992: Vodafone United Kingdom's GSM network went live.
- September 1992: Vodafone Sweden's network went live.
- October 1992: Vodafone Portugal's (still as "Telecel, Comunicações Pessoais, SA") network went live.
- July 1993: Vodafone Greece's network went live.
- July 1993: Vodafone Ireland's GSM network went live.
- September 1995: Vodafone Italy's (still as "Omnitel") network went live.
- November 1995: Vodafone Spain's (still as "Airtel") network went live.
- 2000: Vodafone took over German mobile network operator Mannesmann Mobilfunk GmBH & Co KG. The deal is one of the largest in European history.
- 2001-04-16 First 3G voice call on Vodafone United Kingdom's 3G network.
- 2001: Vodafone took over Eircell, then part of Eircom in Ireland and rebranded it Vodafone Ireland.
- 2001-2002: Vodafone acquired Japan's third largest mobile operator J-Phone, which had introduced camera phones first in Japan.
- 2002: Vodafone rebranded Japan's J-sky mobile internet service as Vodafone live!™ as its mobile customer portal
- 2004: Vodafone introduced 3G services into Europe.
- 2005: Vodafone increased its participation in Romania's Connex to 99%. Vodafone also bought Czech mobile operator Oskar.
Vodafone in Asia-Pacific
Vodafone currently operates in the following countries in the Asia-Paficic region:
- Australia - Vodafone Australia Website (http://www.vodafone.com.au)
- Fiji - Vodafone Fiji Website (http://www.vodafone.com.fj)
- Japan - Vodafone Japan Website (http://www.vodafone.jp/), formerly known as J-Phone
- Hong Kong - Smartone-Vodafone Website (http://www.smartone-vodafone.com.hk/), formerly known as Smartone
- New Zealand - Vodafone New Zealand Website (http://www.vodafone.co.nz)
- Singapore - M1 (mobile operator) Website (http://www.m1.com.sg/)
History
- July 1993: BellSouth New Zealand's network went live.
- October 1993: Vodafone Australia's network went live.
- July 1994: Vodafone Fiji's network went live.
- November 1998: Vodafone purchased BellSouth New Zealand, and it became known as Vodafone New Zealand.
- 1999-2000: J-Phone launched the J-sky mobile internet service in response to DoCoMo's i-Mode service.
- December 2002: J-Phone's 3G network went live.
- October 1st 2003: Vodafone changed the name of it's Japanese subsidiary from J-Phone to 'Vodafone', and the name of J-Phone's mobile internet service from J-Sky to Vodafone Live!
- April 2005: Smartone changed the name of it's brand from Smartone to 'Smartone-Vodafone'
Vodafone in the Middle East and Africa
Vodafone currently operates in the following countries in the Middle East and Africa region:
- Bahrain - MTC-Vodafone Website (http://www.mtc-vodafone.com.bh/)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo - Vodacom Website (http://www.vodacom.cd/)
- Egypt - Vodafone Egypt formerly known as ClickGSM Website (http://www.vodafone.com.eg)
- Kenya - Safaricom Website (http://www.safaricom.co.ke/)
- Kuwait - MTC-Vodafone Website (http://www.mtc-vodafone.com/)
- South Africa - Vodacom Website (http://www.vodacom.net/)
History
- May 1998: Vodafone Egypt network went live under the name ClickGSM.
Vodafone in the United States
In the United States, Vodafone owns 45%1 of Verizon Wireless, the country's second largest mobile carrier. However, the phone company (Verizon) owns a majority of Verizon Wireless and Vodafone's branding is not used, nor is the network compatible with GSM phones.
1 Vodafone Group Plc. Annual Review & Summary Financial Statement. For the year ending 31 March 2005.
Corporate sponsorship
- Manchester United football club
- England cricket team
- Scuderia Ferrari Formula One constructor
- DTM (the German touring car series)
- Vodafone Oaks and Vodafone Derby horse races at Epsom.
- Newbury AFC (The football club from Newbury, where Vodafone was founded.)
- Daily Express Life Savers Awards
- David Beckham
- Benfica football club (Portugal). (from the 2005-'06 season, the team will be sponsored by Portugal Telecom)
- Clare GAA, Ireland (formerly sponsored by Eircell)
References
- ECB dials up £12m deal (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/1065350.stm). BBC Sport (11. December, 2000).
- Ferrari extend sponsorship deal (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/4100907.stm). BBC Sport (16. December, 2004).
- Man Utd rings up £36m shirt deal (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3252120.stm). BBC News (1. December, 2003).
External links
- Vodafone's global website (http://www.vodafone.com/)
- Reports on Vodafone (http://www.ponyal.net/sprtcasec45.htm)
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