Meteor launches new MMS services
Meteor has today launched a range of new MMS services, including Photo Messaging, Long messages and MMS lifestyle alerts.
Meteor say the services are not available on any other network.
All new services are being offered free until December 31 and Meteor plans to offer tariffs after that period that will be substantially cheaper than the current prices offered by other networks, in line with Meteor’s drive to become renowned as Ireland’s ‘Best Value Network’.
The MMS products are available following the launch of Meteor’s GPRS (2.5G) service and are the first in a range of new content and products that will be rolled out over the coming months.
“We have had GPRS capability on our network for some time but we have always said that customers are interested in products and services, not technology, and so we decided not to launch GPRS until we had a range of products in place in line with consumer demand”, said Meteor CEO Stewart Sherriff.
Mr Sherriff continued to say that “MMS was launched prematurely on the market by other networks and this was not in the best interests of consumers or indeed the technology, but we believe we now have a credible product and a range of customer friendly services that will be very well received”.
“This is just the beginning”, he continued, “ in the coming weeks and months we will be launching new and innovative products for all customer segments”.
MMS services such as photo messaging and Long Messages will be available to all Meteor customers to try out free of charge until December 31.
Long messages can be up to 1,000 characters instead of the standard 160 character text message currently available.
Meteor will be offering the latest range of MMS handsets including Camera Phones and camera attachments.
Existing customers with MMS handsets will also be able to use the services.
Even though full interoperability isn’t available as yet, Meteor customers will still be able to send MMS messages to the other networks.
The MMS will arrive as an SMS with a web-link that the recipient can use to view the message on the web.
This service will be charged at 9c, the same price as a standard text message.
Meteor will also offer support for customers who do not have an MMS handset, allowing them to send and receive MMS from the web.
All customers will also be able to use pictures from the Meteor Picture Gallery and downloading and using the pictures will be free until December 31, 2003.
In addition to standard SMS text alerts Meteor will also be the first network in Ireland to offer MMS Alerts.
MMS Alerts are similar in concept to the text alerts currently available but can include photos and graphics as part of the alert as well as more text allowing them to be closer in content to a magazine article than a simple alert.
These MMS Alerts will also be available on a free trial basis until December 31 and will initially include a range of lifestyle alerts including Movie Reviews, TV Reviews, Celebrity Gossip, Tarot and Horoscope.
New MMS News and Sport services will be launched in the coming weeks.
Faster data services will be offered through the enhancement of WAP through GPRS and to compliment this the Meteor WAP site has been updated with new links currently including an ‘up to the minute’ in-depth news service on the Rugby World Cup.
Another unique service only offered by Meteor will allow customers to access their MyMeteor, Hotmail, AOL or MSN email accounts through WAP and while this is available to all customers Meteor’s GPRS customers will be able to read and send e-mails at faster speeds.
This service will also be free until December 31.
A new range of Java Games, polyphonic ringtones, screen savers, colour wallpapers, and logo’s are also available across a wide range of phones.
