Telstra Increases Content and Mobile Data Revenues with SurfKitchen Powered Mobile User Interface

(Business News & Technology News, 2 Dec 2009)

SurfKitchen announced that Telstra has increased mobile content and data revenues by more than 11 percent on SurfKitchen powered TelstraOne Experience handsets. Launched in May 2009, the TelstraOne Experience is an innovative mobile user interface that leverages the SurfKit Mobile Internet Platform to give subscribers quick and easy personalized access to applications and services they regularly use on their mobile phone.

Analysis of results since launch revealed that customers using TelstraOne Experience were 60 percent more likely to use their phone on a weekly basis to access the mobile web when compared to Telstra’s regular 3G mobile customers. In reviewing how the new user interface impacted mobile data use by volume, Telstra found that mobile data use was almost 7 percent higher when comparing results on two identical handsets – one with TelstraOne Experience and one without.

“Our research indicates consumers are much more likely to head online when they can easily set-up and personalize links to their favorite sites,” said Ross Fielding, Executive Director, Telstra Product Management. “By leveraging SurfKitchen’s technology, TelstraOne brings icon-driven web access – which is usually associated with smartphones – to 3G feature phones."

Based on the success of the initial rollout, Telstra is launching the TelstraOne Experience on the Sony Ericsson Naite and Sony Ericsson T707, giving pre-paid customers the opportunity to experience TelstraOne for the first time.

"The results Telstra has achieved with TelstraOne Experience are a testament to our close collaboration with one of the world’s most innovative wireless carriers,” said Michel Quazza, Chief Executive Officer, SurfKitchen. “With TelstraOne, Telstra has clearly demonstrated that a great user experience does not necessarily require a high-end phone. This is an extremely important point as it highlights the potential for carriers to differentiate competitively priced mass-market phones that are sold every year."

SurfKitchen has been working with Telstra since 2004 and its technology has been installed on more than 60 different device models. Telstra initially selected SurfKitchen technology to support the launch of Telstra Downloads, an on-device retail solution for mobile content downloads. Based on the success of that deployment, Telstra extended its relationship with SurfKitchen in 2005 to launch its Next G mobile services and applications portal, Telstra MyPlace.