- t-zones offers free news and entertainment in March to handset users
- Unique notification of users about the new offer via Bluetooth
Prague, 29 February 2008 - T-Mobile will provide its customers with the latest news as well as with entertainment completely free of charge this March. Starting tomorrow, the t-zones section on users' handsets will include links to Aktuálně.cz and Líbímseti.cz. Customers will thus be able to browse the latest domestic and foreign events, sports news and other articles. And those who are only seeking pure entertainment and cannot be bothered with news articles can visit Líbímseti.cz, one of the most popular Czech websites. People can surf these two portals free of charge at t-zones until 31 March.
"We would like to demonstrate to our customers that there is more to handsets than just phoning and texting, and that these devices can be a great source of information as well as entertainment, which they can access while waiting for the bus, for example," says Michal Němec, Vice President Mobile Portal and Content Services at T-Mobile.
Users can easily access both of the portals directly from the t-zones homepage, via the Aktuálně.cz and Líbímseti.cz icons. Unlike the rest of t-zones, these pages will not be marked by the $ symbol and people will be able to navigate them free of charge.
T-Mobile customers will thus acquire instant access to the latest information on domestic and foreign affairs as well as on sports events. And all of this will be provided completely free of charge throughout March. News is provided by the Aktuálně.cz internet daily, which is currently one of the most cited Czech news media. Aktuálně.cz publishes articles by leading Czech journalists and is visited by more than one million users each month.
"Cooperation between T-Mobile and Aktuálně.cz enables users to access the portal's articles on their handsets in exactly the same form that they are used to. We know that Czechs are experienced mobile phone users and are sure to welcome quality news coverage that they can access even when waiting for their bus or traveling on the train, for example," says Pavel Mucha, Executive Director of NetCentrum.
Nor do those who are keen to chat, make friends or just have fun have to wait until they get to their PC anymore. They can now conveniently surf the popular Líbímseti.cz website directly on their handsets. Líbímseti.cz was launched in 2002 and it is currently the most popular social-networking website in the Czech Republic. It is visited each month by 1.1 million users under the age of 30.
In addition to the 1.4 million user profiles that they can freely browse, the website's visitors can also use most of the basic features via t-zones, such as the photo gallery, friends, messaging and profile evaluation. In future, additional services such as uploading photos and blogging will be added.
Unique free notifications
In addition to being informed of the free t-zones access to the two portals in the usual ways, mobile-phone users will also be notified of the offer via Bluetooth. Select spots in the Czech Republic, such as cinemas, will be equipped with Bluetooth transmitters, and all users that are present near the transmitter and have Bluetooth enabled on their handsets will receive a Bluetooth message notifying them of the free access to Aktuálně.cz and Líbímseti.cz via t-zones. The message will also include a link to a special WAP page from which both of these portals can be accessed.
Users can receive the Bluetooth notifications in Prague, Brno, Hradec Králové, Olomouc, Zlín and several other cities.