United Mobile

United Mobile is a Swiss company, operating in Kloten (near Zurich Airport) as a "branch" of a company based in Liechtenstein" [http://www.hr-monitor.ch/f/United_Mobile_Liechtenstein_AG,_Schaanwald,_Kloten_Branch_CH-020.9.001.870-8_13858911.html United Mobile Liechtenstein AG, Schaanwald, Kloten Branch] ", Commercial Register of Canton of Zurich / HR-Monitor] (for tax and legal purposes) and providing prepaid SIM cards offering low roaming costs, based on call back" [http://www.sonntagszeitung.ch/multimedia/artikel-detailseite/?newsid=26924 Land in Sicht für grenzenlose Surfer] ", SonntagsZeitung, 1 June 2008] business approach.

Prices, fees structure

United Mobile charge customers call fees based on the usual roaming fees for both outgoing and incoming calls, albeit on (distinctly) lower rates than the competition (in marketing terms so called arbitrage offer) and marketed as "roaming free".

United Mobile, one of numerous MVNOs, seems to concentrate their revenues on so called Inter Operator Tariffs (IOT) on termination fees of their call back business approach.

IM cards

The SIM cards are available at the United Mobile web shop, where they may also be recharged, and through resellers (eg. Die Post in Switzerland). The customer gets a new phone number – either in Liechtenstein or, since 2007, UK. During 2008 US, German and Russian phone numbers should be available as well" [http://www.teltarif.ch/arch/2008/kw06/s7820.html United Mobile bekommt deutsche und amerikanische Rufnummern] ", teltarif.ch, 7 February 2005] .

So far one SIM card for voice and SMS, the other one since 2008 in cooperation with ICQ for data (SMS, voice as well, for higher cost than the voice SIM) marketed as different products as "ICQ SIM" and "United Mobile Data SIM Card"" [http://www.mobiles-leben.ch/mem/125/icqsim_kostenloser_anrufempfang_im_roaming_gprs_datenroaming_in_15_laendern.html ICQSIM kostenloser Anrufempfang im Roaming GPRS Datenroaming in 15 Ländern (Test und Review)] ", mobiles-leben.ch, 25 February 2008] .

Blueslice Networks

In mid 2008, United Mobile began offering MNOs a low-roaming package, based on a Blueslice solution of the multi IMSI technology of their multi-profile subscriber convergence [ [http://www.blueslice.com/en-ca/solutions.html Solutions – Multi-profile Subscriber Convergence] ] .

The idea to change the ways mobile networks signaling works, and so minimize, or even avoid roaming, has been around for a couple of years. Yet to make it work, a number of MNOs would have to join in and give up the roaming revenues, a substantial part of mobile business.

The cooperation between Blueslice and United Mobile has been announced in November 2007 [ [http://www.ad-hoc-news.de/CorporateNews/en/14285656/Blueslice-Eliminates-Roaming-Costs-with-Unique-Multi-IMSI Blueslice Eliminates Roaming Costs with Unique Multi-IMSI Technology] , article/press release at [http://www.ad-hoc-news.de ad-hoc-news.de] ] [ [http://www.blueslice.com/en-ca/news-events/press-releases/blueslice-eliminates-roaming-costs-with-unique-multi-imsi-technology.html Blueslice Eliminates Roaming Costs with Unique Multi-IMSI Technology] , press release at [http://www.blueslice.com/ blueslice.com] ] . In it Blueslice hopes to have found a/another distributor, United Mobile a supplier of a solution that would help to get enough customers aboard, and so satisfy investors not so happy with United Mobile's development so far.

The company

United Mobile was founded in 2001 in Winterthur by Rob Snijder and Erik Brunnekreef " [http://tpw.isi.ch/stock/landbote_151005_1_07.pdf Echte Pionierarbeit geleistet] ", Der Landbote, 15 October 2005] in 2002 bringing their first SIM on the market.
Sven Donhuysen joined the company in 2004, getting Mobilcom Liechtenstein as much needed network partner aboard.

Morten Lund joined as investor in 2007" [http://www.computerworld.ch/aktuell/news/41642/ Skype-Investor springt bei United Mobile an Bord] ", computerworld.ch, 13 July 2007] , the goal would be to "combine Truphone, Jajah and Skype on one SIM card"" [http://www.teltarif.ch/arch/2007/kw28/s7182.html United Mobile soll Web-2.0-Funktionen bekommen] ", teltarif.ch, 13 July 2007] .

During 2007 Charles Fränkl, Achilles Rupf and Cor Swart joined in in executive positions. On United Mobile's board are Sven Donhuysen, Alfred K. Roth, Kaj-Erik Relander and Andreas Rueter." [https://www.united-mobile.com/?p=company Company, Executive Team, Board] " on [http://www.united-mobile.com united-mobile.com] ]

The partnership with ICQ, that began 2008, should help find mobile network partners in 140 countries, ICQ already cooperates with" [http://www.swiss-press.com/newsflashartikel.cfm?key=234791 ICQ und United Mobile lancieren neue günstige Reise-SIM-Karte] ", teltarif.ch, 21 February 2008] " [http://www.sonntagszeitung.ch/multimedia/artikel-detailseite/?newsid=26924 Land in Sicht für grenzenlose Surfer] ", SonntagsZeitung, 1 June 2008] .

Coverage

In 2005 " [http://www.nzz.ch/magazin/dossiers/jungunternehmen/jungunternehmen/articledbv3v_1.191025.htmll Auch im Ausland sorglos telefonieren] ", NZZ, 5 December 2005] ,and 2007 again" [http://www.teltarif.ch/arch/2007/kw28/s7182.html United Mobile soll Web-2.0-Funktionen bekommen] ", teltarif.ch, 13 July 2007] ,United Mobile claims to cover over 80 countries with voice, SMS. For the data SIMs, some 16 countries at start in 2008, "to rise to 30 until end of the year"" [http://www.teltarif.ch/arch/2007/kw28/s7182.html United Mobile bekommt deutsche und amerikanische Rufnummern] ", teltarif.ch, 7 February 2007] .

References

External Links

* [https://www.united-mobile.com/ united-mobile.com]
* [http://icqsim.com/ icqsim.com]