Hanover, 3 March 2008. If you're out and about and you see something that makes you curious to know more about it, the new Vodafone service can deliver precisely the infor-mation you're looking for. The Düsseldorf-based telecommunications provider is demon-strating otello at CeBIT 2008. It's the first image-based search engine that anyone who has a mobile phone with camera can use. The procedure is very simple. All you have to do is take a photo of the object and send it as an MMS message to a service number. It only takes seconds to check the database for information associated with the photo and deliver it to the mobile phone user's handset display. And it's perfect for music fans too, because if they send a photo of a CD cover, they get a link sent back to them where they can down-load the song from the Vodafone Music Download service.
Search engines are an everyday aspect of internet users' lives. If you need information on
a specific subject, you enter the right key words into a mask and get a hit list displayed on your screen. Mobile internet's rise in popularity means that these popular search engines can now be accessed at any time and place by mobile phone users. otello is a Vodafone service that further simplifies information searches. The idea behind it is this: In the mobile world, far away from the desktop PC with keyboard, text-based searches are relatively complex undertakings. It's far more convenient if mobile phone users can make image-based searches. otello is the solution. It's an innovative search engine that delivers results in response to photos instead of words.
It's also very easy to use. If you see something - an historical building in a new city, an unfamiliar car model, a book or CD cover - all you have to do is photograph it and send the photo as an MMS message to a service number. All the relevant information is sent to the mobile phone either directly or in the form of links (e.g. a link to a relevant Wikipedia entry).
The photos that are sent to the search engine don't have to satisfy any high quality require-ments. VGA resolution is fine. The images are recognised irrespective of angle, shade and lighting conditions. There's no need to painstakingly type in search words or make several attempts with different combinations of words. The service can be used by any mobile phone user - provide the phone has a camera - whatever mobile network they use. When a search is made, the user only pays the cost of a standard MMS message according to their contract. The response or response link is sent back to the handset free of charge.
If the search engine can't find any content relating to a photo that is sent in, users have the option of saving it as a reference photo in the database and adding their own entry. It's also possible to create and update personal profiles, to post photos and to make comments or join certain interest groups, which are called clubs.
The otello service isn't just about information, though. It also delivers lots of fun and enter-tainment. Users can send in their own portrait or photos of friends via Vodafone Look-alike to find out which famous actor or other celebrity the person on the photo resembles most closely. Another application also boosts the convenience of the Vodafone Music Download service. Simply send in a photo of a CD or LP cover and you can download the song to the mobile phone as MP3 file.
Business customers can also profit from the many different options that image-based searches offer. otello will be introducing a B2B platform where advertisers can place their interactive campaigns. For example, they can launch competitions with prizes for the peo-ple who send in certain photos. Posters advertising events can also be directly linked to an online booking service or newspaper articles so that up-to-date additional information can be provided.
If you have any queries, please contact:
Jens Kürten, External Communications, T. +49 211 533-6650
Press hotline: +49 211 533-5500
Vodafone Germany is one of the largest and most modern telecommunications providers in Europe. It serves almost 34 million customers, realises turnover of more than EUR 8 billion and has 9,000 employees. Vodafone Germany is an innovative technology and service enterprise, offering a comprehensive range of mobile communication services from one provider. The portfolio includes mobile communications and fixed network telephony, as well as data services for business and private customers. Continuous development, numerous patents and investments in new products, services and the modern network have made Vodafone an innovation leader in the German telecommunications market. The company is headquartered in Düsseldorf. Eight branch offices and a chain of 1600 Vodafone shops keep us close to our customers. The Vodafone Germany group of companies also includes a majority shareholding in the Arcor telecommunications group, which is headquartered in Eschborn, Germany. Vodafone Germany is committed to CSR and it additionally supports numerous projects through the German Vodafone Foundation.
The company is part of the Vodafone Group. Visit the website at www.vodafone.de for further information.