Directory enquiries from mobile telephony rising steadily
Munich, 24. September 2004 – The leading European directory assistance expert telegate and Germany’s third-largest mobile telephony provider E-Plus have considerably extended their existing cooperation: from 1 October 2004, E-Plus will completely transfer the directory assistance business including the call number to telegate. In addition, the 11 88 0 number will in future be marketed exclusively in the E-Plus network. This far-reaching decision is a further milestone in telegate’s strategic orientation. The company intends to establish itself as the preferred partner for directory assistance and information services of corporate customers and telecommunications providers, long-term.
Subject to the agreement of the Regulation Authorities for Telecommunications and Post (RegTP) - the Federal Cartel Office already approved the cooperation - approx. nine million E-Plus customers will benefit from the cooperation of the two companies from October. In addition to the classic directory assistance for phone numbers and addresses or switching, callers can then directly access the entire range of services offered by 11 88 0. This includes services such as pharmaceutical emergency service, train timetable information or hotel bookings but also technological innovations such as SMS directory assistance. Nearly 50 percent of German citizens currently expects this “extra” service from a modern directory assistance. This was shown by a recent study carried out by the market research institute GfK.
Mobile telephony has been rapidly increasing in significance in recent years. In 2004, mobile telephone users talk approximately twice the amount of time compared to 1999. This development is also confirmed by the directory assistance market: at 11 88 0, the share of directory assistance enquiries from mobile phone networks has increased by double digit annually indexed to 2000. With its targeted orientation on cooperations in the area of mobile telephony, telegate has consistently positioned itself in this growth segment. Apart from E-Plus, other mobile telephony providers such as debitel, Talkline and Drillisch cooperate exclusively with the directory assistance expert.
Press contact:
telegate AG
Claudia Strixner
Head of Public Relation
Fraunhoferstr. 12a
D-82152 Martinsried, München
Tel.: (089) 89 54-1180
Fax: (089) 89 54-1189
E-Mail: presse@telegate.com
www.telegate.com
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