3 looks to business application wizardry in Oz

Hutchison Telecom’s 3 unit in Australia will start to recruit business application developers in April, with a new website instructing them how to use the company’s 3G network the first step into battle with other carriers for the lucrative business users.

The launch of the site, www.developers.three.com.au , will be followed by the release of a 3G PC Card, a key component in the company’s wireless data strategy as it will extend the reach of its network into laptop computers and PDAs.

"The issue we hear from the development community is that 2.5G gives a poor customer experience," said Shane Williamson, the company’s head of developer relationships. "I get called every second day by a developer asking how to move their product into a 3G environment, because with a 3G network you can deliver native HTML [to a laptop]".

The company also has Wi-Fi hotspot providers in it sights, touting the broad coverage of its network as more suitable to mobile users than travelling to islands of Wi-Fi availability.

The company’s initial focus will be vertical industries, Williamson said.

"It’s an embryonic business strategy to serve individual industry channels, particularly in SMEs with mobile workforces, where people need and can make real efficiency gains out of getting access to data on the run."

Business application plans have not yet been announced by 3 in the UK though the operator is known to be readying a similar approach.