HP and Orange team up on mobile services

Orange and HP will sell and market a range of consumer laptops

HP and Orange have signed a partnership to offer what they claim will be a better service to mobile internet users.

"The partnership with Orange has created a new and important channel for HP as customers increasingly turn to the power of the mobile internet," said Eric Cador, senior vice president at HP, announcing the tie-up.

"Our vision is to make mobile internet simple and always available for people wherever they are, giving customers an even better mobile experience by leveraging Orange's and HP's unique experience and knowledge."

Under the agreement, Orange and HP will work together to sell and market a range of consumer notebooks and mini laptops, including the new Compaq Mini 700.

For example, people signing up to a mobile broadband package with a Mini 700 would also get access to Orange's Internet Everywhere mobile broadband service and connection dongle, as well as a 3GB per month data allowance and 24-month manufacturer warranty, the firms said.

"The demand for mobile broadband is a global phenomenon. Adding a select range of HP Notebooks and Minis to our successful portfolio of connected offers is just the kick-off phase," said Olaf Swantee, vice president of Orange's communications services team.

"Our partnership with HP is based on more than just sales. Together, we will define new ways to bring services to customers, from co-marketing activities through to distribution, supply chain and care, reinforcing our commitment to make it easy for everyone to access the internet and their content, whenever and wherever they want."

Orange also announced a range of new mobile applications, or widgets, that can help mobile users get more from their devices. Orange customers will be able to download applications such as weather information or news alerts on to their phones, the firm said.

More solutions for mobile workers have also been added to Orange's application store. These include tools such as translating or currency converter software, as well as third-party business services.