Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile unit has announced Internet services deals with Microsoft and Vodafone. The Microsoft tie-up will allow T-Mobile subscribers to access .NET on the move, while the Vodafone deal will allow customers to use their mobile phones as ‘virtual wallets’.
The German telecoms giant will create a new unit to develop mobile products using Microsoft’s .NET platform. T-Mobile users will be able to use MSN Messenger and Hotmail email, while corporate customers will have mobile access to their Outlook mail. Services will start to appear this summer.
Meanwhile, the Vodafone venture will let T-Mobile users store their details and preferred payment options in a ‘virtual wallet’, so they can use their handset to buy goods and services. It is set for launch in Germany and the UK towards the end of 2002.
