MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain), the Kingdom’s telecoms service provider, and Research In Motion (RIM), the developer of the internationally successful and wildly popular BlackBerry wireless solution, today announced the introduction of two new BlackBerry® smartphones in Bahrain.

The BlackBerry® Pearl™ and BlackBerry® 8707v will be available from MTC-Vodafone Experience shops and through the MTC-Vodafone corporate sales team.

BlackBerry 8707v

Under a partnership agreement, MTC-Vodafone has access to Vodafone’s Global Frame Agreement with RIM, enabling MTC-Vodafone customers to benefit from Vodafone's global sourcing of BlackBerry smartphones and 24/7 technical support.

“Mobile access to email and business information is becoming an essential business tool, and now both corporate and individual users can enjoy combined functionality of a full-featured BlackBerry smartphone with the added appeal of style and affordability,” said Dr. Ahmed Al Shatti, MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain) Chief Operating Officer.

“Both the BlackBerry Pearl and BlackBerry 8707v provide effortless mobile connectivity, allowing all our customers the ability to stay in touch with the office, the web as well as friends, family and loved ones.”

Already popular among global business users, the iconic BlackBerry solution is now reaching a broader market with the new smartphone offerings. The BlackBerry Pearl is one of the smallest and lightest smartphones in the world, with a classy, piano black finish, incredible fast EDGE-enabled technology, digital camera, multimedia capabilities and an expandable memory slot.

The stylish BlackBerry 8707v operates on MTC-Vodafone’s UMTS network and meets the needs of today’s most demanding business professionals. It has a sleek design featuring a full QWERTY keyboard, fast access to the Internet and data applications on the move. The BlackBerry 8707v can also be used as a tethered modem to enable users to access the Internet from their laptop computers.

A notable feature also set to please users is the embedded “Vodafone Today” theme, a unique interface that is designed for ease-of-use.

MTC-Vodafone (Bahrain) customers can also enjoy island wide high-speed coverage for GPRS, EDGE and UMTS networks. Besides the roaming service throughout the Kingdom, MTC-Vodafone offers a seamless experience to BlackBerry users travelling to overseas destinations and requiring access to email, the Internet and other applications. International coverage is provided as a result of agreements with 133 GPRS roaming partners in over 80 countries most visited by MTC-Vodafone customers. The data services are in addition to the conventional voice roaming service available with 311 voice partners in 142 countries, all of which are unmatched in the Kingdom*.

“We’re delighted to be working in close partnership with Vodafone and RIM. The support of MTC-Vodafone’s network, combined with the strength of our relationship with RIM, brings great benefits to our customers. Through our access to RIM’s full technical support for the platform, and international best-in-class expertise, our support teams can take the best possible care of our customer’s 24/7 requirements,” said Dr. Al Shatti.

“We are pleased to work with MTC-Vodafone to make the BlackBerry from Vodafone solution available in Bahrain,” commented Charmaine Eggberry, Vice President and Managing Director of EMEA at RIM. “The BlackBerry solution is a great tool for individuals that strive to be more productive, flexible and ultimately more successful in work and life.”

*Check with MTC-Vodafone for roaming and tariff details

Source: RIM