T-Mobile Launches Bobsled by T-Mobile — A New Communications Brand to Bridge the Traditional Telco and IP Worlds

T-Mobile today introduced Bobsled^™ by T-Mobile, a new brand aimed at bridging traditional telecommunications and Internet-based voice and data services to enable people to stay connected in a simple and cost-effective way. The first product available under the new Bobsled by T-Mobile brand is the Bobsled application for Facebook, which provides Facebook’s more than 500 million users worldwide with free, one-touch calling to their Facebook friends from a personal computer and through the social platform’s chat window.

In addition to making live voice calls across the globe, users will also be able to send voice messages to their friends either privately or via their “walls.” The Bobsled application for Facebook is available today as a free download for all Facebook users and is not exclusive to T-Mobile customers. This captures a unique opportunity for the brand, as a recent survey found that 88 percent of Facebook users surveyed want voice chat capabilities within the site.

“T-Mobile’s focus is to innovate to provide simple and affordable communications for customers, enabling people to stay connected wherever they are,” said Brad Duea, senior vice president, T-Mobile USA. “Bobsled by T-Mobile takes our communications services innovation to a whole new dimension, bringing simple and cost-effective connections to more than half a billion people overnight, allowing people on Facebook to more easily connect and giving voice to social networking. Our new Bobsled brand will evolve in the coming months to provide even more ways for people to connect, no matter what platform, device or mobile provider they are using.”

Once downloaded, customers can use the Bobsled application for Facebook to place voice calls to their friends through Facebook Chat with just one click. This is one of the first voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) applications seamlessly integrated into Facebook Chat, which makes it quick and simple to place an impromptu call to a Facebook friend. The application eliminates the need for dialing — users simply click on a friend’s name to start the conversation. There’s also no need to remember screen names or to input numbers. With the new application, customers also can leave a voice message for friends when they’re not available. Anyone on Facebook can receive a call; no application download is required to receive a call via the Bobsled application for Facebook.

As the way people communicate transcends networks and devices, Bobsled by T-Mobile positions T-Mobile as a provider of cloud-based communications services over the Internet. In addition to providing Facebook users with one-touch calling, Bobsled by T-Mobile also powers the Group Text™ and Cloud Text™ applications on the new T-Mobile^® Sidekick^® 4G^™. Bobsled Group Text lets customers create, name, manage and participate in reply-all group text conversations, enabling them to lead their network in conversation and social planning. Bobsled Cloud Text provides the option to text with friends or groups across platforms, whether from the comfort of their PC’s large screen and keyboard, or from their new Sidekick 4G.

In the near future, T-Mobile plans to evolve Bobsled by T-Mobile to include video chat, to create the ability to place VoIP calls to mobile and landline U.S. numbers and to offer applications on smartphones and tablets across various mobile platforms, regardless of the carrier that powers such devices.

The Facebook application for Bobsled by T-Mobile is powered by Vivox, Inc., the No. 1 integrated voice platform for the Social Web, offering high quality, best-in-class voice capabilities for clear and crisp calls.

T-Mobile USA Supports Customers Affected By Southern Storms

In the wake of the storms that devastated the southern United States this week, T-Mobile USA has announced efforts to keep customers connected to loved ones, as well as provide relief to those directly impacted by the disaster.

Despite wide-spread power outages affecting more than one million people, T-Mobile voice and data services remain available for customers in the affected areas. “As soon as the storms had left the area, T-Mobile engineers and technicians were onsite to restore crucial communications for our customers,” said Brian Jones, vice president and general manager at T-Mobile USA. “We are working in conjunction with local power companies as well as the Tennessee Valley Authority during the power restoration process. In the meantime, we have deployed generators across the region to ensure our customers are served during this crisis.”

Although the T-Mobile network is up and running, the company continues to take precautionary efforts to safeguard the network. Since commercial power outages have been widespread, T-Mobile has backup generators and additional fuel in place and ready to continue powering the network, if needed. The company’s critical network operations centers have backup and redundancy plans in place and rapid response engineering teams are focused on keeping service up and running for T-Mobile customers.

T-Mobile does not charge for text messages sent to mobile giving campaigns

T-Mobile customers who are interested in helping can text “REDCROSS” to “90999”. Please follow their instructions so that your donation of $10 will be given to the American Red Cross to help with relief efforts. Your donation will be charged to your T-Mobile phone bill, and one hundred percent of this donation goes directly to the Red Cross. T-Mobile does not charge for text messages sent to mobile giving campaigns and customers who do not have a messaging plan will not be charged, nor will the text messages be deducted from messaging plans.

“During this difficult time, we remain committed to working with our customers directly impacted by this disaster,” said Jones. “Our T-Mobile customers have a long history of giving during times of crisis. Working with our partners at the American Red Cross, we have made it even easier to give.”

T-Mobile offers iPhone without contract

BERLIN - Deutsche Telekom AG's mobile unit said Wednesday it would offer Apple's iPhone without a contract to comply with a court injunction, but consumers that opt out of a two-year contract will pay more than twice as much for it.

T-Mobile will start selling the combination smart phone-iPod media player for 999 euros ($1,477) immediately as well as continuing to offer it for the discounted 399 euros ($590) in combination with a two-year contract, the company said in a news release.

The iPhone made its German debut on Nov. 9 — available only with the two-year contract from T-Mobile. The German unit of rival Vodafone protested that practice at a state court in Hamburg.

The court issued an injunction, dated Nov. 12, barring T-Mobile from offering Apple Inc.'s iPhone exclusively with the minimum 24-month contract, and also from selling it only with a so-called SIM lock that prevents users from switching the device to any other operator's network.

T-Mobile said any customer can now also have the SIM lock on their phone removed — including those who have already purchased the iPhone.

The company released statement saying it would abide by the conditions "until the legal situation is resolved." The company could not immediately be reached for comment.

Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris declined to comment.

Companies routinely offer phone discounts to customers who sign up for lengthy contracts.

T-Mobile's popular Nokia N95 sells for as little as 199.95 euros ($295.63) with a two-year contract, or 619.95 euros ($916.60) without one.

On Tuesday, T-Mobile said it would appeal the injunction and it also said it reserves the right to consider seeking damages.

Vodafone said it wanted the issue settled.

"What matters is for all these questions to be resolved soon by the state court in Hamburg," Vodafone spokeswoman Marion Stolzenwald said.

Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple's strategy thus far had been to offer its iPhone through an exclusive mobile operator for each region: AT&T Inc. in the United States, O2 in Britain, T-Mobile in Germany, and soon France Telecom's Orange wireless arm in France.

It also has issued software updates that have disabled the workarounds hackers developed to get the iPhone to work on other carrier networks. Apple faces two consumer lawsuits in the United States that accuse the company of unlawfully restricting consumer choice by preventing users from unlocking their iPhones.

The new phone, which also can be used to surf the Web, does not operate on the fastest, so-called 3G networks, but is relying on a different technology called EDGE. T-Mobile argued that it is the only carrier to offer EDGE across Germany.

Source- http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071121/ap_on_hi_te/germany_iphone;_ylt=ApBGviCy0SYV3Xzyz7M4slOs0NUE

T-Mobile Sidekick Slide is faulty

Following news of the recall of the Sony Ericsson Walkman W910i here in the UK, the T-Mobile Sidekick Slide is suffering a similar fate in the US.

Reports state the Slide, listed as "temporarily unavailable" on T-Mobile's official site has been "inadvertently" powering off for no reason.

T-Mobile has made a press statement "T-Mobile USA suspended sales of the T-Mobile Sidekick Slide on Friday evening, Nov. 16, after Motorola – the manufacturer of the device – confirmed that some devices may inadvertently power off when the slide door on the front side of the phone is opened or closed".

"T-Mobile has taken this action to help ensure our customers only receive devices we’re confident will perform at their peak, so they can stay effortlessly connected to those who matter most".

"Motorola is currently working to identify the root cause of the power cycle issue in affected Sidekick Slide devices. The T-Mobile Sidekick and Sidekick are not affected by this issue".

Customers affected are urged to return their handsets to stores where they will receive an upgrade to the LX model, We are waiting confirmation that this recall is for British handsets too and will update the story.

Source- http://uk.news.yahoo.com/pocketli/20071119/ttc-t-mobile-sidekick-slide-is-faulty-57dbc65.html