Orange's 3G card missing video trick

July 21, 2004

Orange's newly launched 3G service offers business customers high-speed mobile email access via a 3G data card. However, if Orange had added VT Phone technology to the data card, it would allow its business customers to also access video services via their laptop. This capability, only a small fraction of the cost of the data card, would incubate demand for services such as video calling by allowing business users to trial them using their laptop. This could boost operator revenues and encourage sales of 3G handsets.

VT Phone transforms any laptop PC equipped with a 3G data card into a 3G terminal, enabling laptop users to make two-way video telephony calls to any 3G terminal. VT Phone is a Windows-based software application that incorporates Dilithium Networks' AnswerFast technology to reduce call set up times by around 50%, offering data card users a very rewarding video calling service.

Lee Ellison, Senior Vice President of Sales, and Marketing with Dilithium Networks, said, "3G data cards are an excellent service to business executives on the move but Orange are missing a trick by not offering video calling. VT Phone would enable these customers to trial video services using their lap top and would add no more than 2% of the cost of the data card. This capability could boost revenues in the short term and, increase the number of video enabled terminals while enhancing the capabilities of 3G datacard users."

VT Phone, jointly developed by Dilithium Networks and Singapore-based LineFusion Pte, provides a feature rich and fully customizable GUI that provides separate windows for incoming and outgoing videos, a dial pad and call status window.