Press Coverage

Telstra’s shortcut to the mobile web clicks with Aussies

Mobile phones that allow customers to access mobile web sites in fewer clicks, and without the need to type in web addresses, are helping Aussies get online according to new figures from Telstra.

Ross Fielding, Executive Director Telstra Product Management, said a unique user interface (UI) called the TelstraOne™ Experience was making the mobile easier to personalise, in the process increasing web and content use.

“We looked at figures aggregated by handset type over the three months to September 30. We found that customers with the TelstraOne UI were 60 per cent more likely to use their phone on a weekly basis to access the mobile web compared to Telstra’s regular 3G mobile customers[1],” Mr Fielding said.

“Having to type a full web address on a mobile can be a barrier to connecting to the net. And our data indicates consumers are much more likely to head online when they can easily set up and personalise links to their favourite sites.”

The TelstraOne Experience brings icon-driven web access - which is usually associated with smartphones - to other compatible 3G phones. Mobile users can select from almost 150 website links, phone features and widgets displayed as icons - which they can add to their MyPlace® phone menu. These icons take customers directly to the sites and services that matter to them like YouTube, news sites and mobile web email services like Hotmail.

“Of the 50-plus external sites customers can choose to add to their MyPlace menu, Facebook, MySpace and Hotmail topped the list in terms of clicks per user - with the average Facebook user clicking through to the site more than once a day.”

Telstra also looked at how consumers accessed the mobile web on two identical handsets - one with TelstraOne Experience installed and one without. The figures show mobile data use by volume was almost 7 per cent higher on TelstraOne UI devices while use of Sensis search was more than 8 times higher.

“We brought Sensis search up from a sub menu and integrated it with the home screen on TelstraOne devices. And as a result we’ve achieved a much higher utilisation because customers don’t need to hunt through sub menus to find the search engine.”

The research comes as Telstra announces its first-ever Pre-Paid handsets to feature the TelstraOne Experience UI: The new Sony Ericsson Naite™ and the Sony Ericsson T707. Both handsets join the range this month and have a recommended retail price less than $200.

“We try to set our mobile experience apart on the basis of our Next G™ network, our content and our range of unique services. This investment in UI design means we can also set our mobiles apart by providing a level of personalisation that helps consumers get more from their mobile.”

Telstra is also benefitting from increased content and data revenues. “Data and content revenue on TelstraOne Experience handsets is more than 11 per cent higher than on the identical handset model we compared,” Mr Fielding said.

The volume of data carried on Telstra’s Next G™ network - including to and from mobile handsets and mobile broadband devices - is currently doubling every 8 months.

About TelstraOne Experience

Telstra first launched the TelstraOne Experience on the MOTOSURF A3100 and the Sony Ericsson W705 in May 2009. Since then it has been launched on the Sony Ericsson W508 and W995. The TelstraOne UI design is built on four principles: The user should be able to personalise their experience; it must seamlessly tie in with the layout, themes, menu icons and fonts installed on a device; duplicated steps to access phone features or content should be removed; and, common tasks should be the easiest to access.

TelstraOne features include:

* The Dynamic Homescreen - Hosts five quick access icons taking users to their MyPlace menu, contacts, messaging, the BigPond portal, and Sensis search.

* MyPlace® menu and catalogue - Users can select from almost 150 application, phone feature and webpage shortcut icons to place on their MyPlace menu. The menu comprises three screens and can accommodate up to 36 different shortcuts. Customers can add Web links like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and mobile web accounts like Windows Live™ Hotmail and Yahoo!7 Mail to MyPlace. These shortcuts can be organised based on user preference so the applications and sites they use frequently are easiest to access. Updates to the shortcut catalogue are downloaded automatically at no charge.

* Sensis® search from the homepage - Customers can search the mobile internet straight from their homepage via an in-built application.

* Widgets and Tickers - Widgets are mini applications that provide quick access to specific services. For example, TelstraOne includes a weather widget that places updated weather information on the customer’s homescreen so that they can check their local forecast with a glance. There is also a My News’ widget and ticker that provides customers with scrolling news on their homescreen that is regularly updated from BigPond Mobile.

The new Pre-Paid mobiles with the TelstraOne Experience

The Sony Ericsson Naite™ (RRP $179) is a bar-shaped mobile with an eco-conscience that’s available in Vapour Silver. Naite™ is made with casing that includes recycled plastics and comes with a charger with energy saving standby mode.
Features: A 2 megapixel camera, media player, video calling, 2.2 inch QVGA screen, HSDPA high-speed browsing and download capability.

The Sony Ericsson T707 (RRP $199) is an eye-catching flip handset that’s available in Mysterious Black and Spring Rose. Highlights include personalised lighting effects that allow customers to give their friends their own, unique pulsating light effects and gesture control that can silence an incoming call or snooze an alarm with the sweep of a hand over the mobile.
Features: 3.2 megapixel camera, video calling, TrackID integration with BigPond®Music, Bluetooth, colour-matched stereo headset, FM radio and HSDPA high-speed browsing and download capability.

[1] WAP session data aggregated by handset type was compared. Aggregated data for a TelstraOne mobile with more than 20,000 users was compared with aggregated data collected at Telstra’s WAP gateway for more than 4 million 3G/Next G™ mobile phones.