Vodafone tipped for exclusive iPhone agreement with Apple

[needthephone]

From the Times UK -Great news I reckon and hopefully they will aslo bring it to Australia. Vodafone have always been a very ambitious company are the largest mobile operator in the world. They pride themselves on having the best technology - I am on Three now and find them poor compared to vodafone in terms of customer service. They own Verizon in the US.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vodafone


http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/telecoms/article2002888.ece

I didn't know that the Vodafone CEO and Steve Jobs were mates.

"However, sources familiar with Vodafone, an £88 billion company, said that it was pushing hard to secure a deal. Its sheer size and spending power should give it the edge. In addition, Arun Sarin, the chief executive of Vodafone, is known to have a good relationship with Steve Jobs, the Apple chief executive. The two have held private talks about a deal

Despite Apple’s size – last year it turned over a fraction of Vodafone’s £31.1 billion in revenues – the lustre of the brand has ensured that it is holding the upper hand in the negotiations

 

[Igantius]

The deal to distribute the iPhone in the UK high street was signed early this year - hasn't been publicy announced though. If Vodafone are to have the iPhone rights either this earlier deal has been ripped up or the two companies are going to have to go a rapprochement.

I used to work on some projects which involved Vodafone and they have been having some problems of late (see board changes, profit/loss problems despited large revenues etc etc.)