[May 17] Vodafone AirTouch
Plc
and VivendiNet S.A. confirmed
Wednesday
their intention of creating Europe’s first multi-access Internet portal by
signing a formal agreement.
At a press conference in Paris, Chris Gent and Jean-Marie Messier —
respectively
chief executives of Vodafone AirTouch and Vivendi — explained that the new
portal would let customers access the Internet and purchase goods and
services
via their computer, their WAP phone, and their interactive TV set.
The new portal is to be called VIZZAVI and will be the default portal
for more than 70 million Vodafone/Vivendi mobile, PC and TV customers
in Europe. The name VIZZAVI will apply to both the joint venture and
the new global Internet brand from Vodafone.
Pronouncing it “a major strategic accord”, Gent and Messier outlined a
variety of services covering news, sports, and general information, with
the added promise of new technology to read e-mail by voice for the
convenience of mobile users.
Existing Vodafone and Vivendi Internet portals and assets will be
transferred to VIZZAVI in the coming months, said the two chief
executives. Saying they believe they have only a 12-18 month window
of opportunity for VIZZAVI, they also revealed their intention for
the new venture to have an IPO within two years.
VIZZAVI will launch initially in France and the U.K., with
Germany expected to come on-stream by the end of 2000. All affiliated
operators in Europe will have the portal by the end of 2001.
The original announcement of the deal came as a turning-point in
Vodafone’s battle to acquire the German company Mannesmann earlier
this year. At the time, the board of Mannesmann hoped that an
alliance with Vivendi might prevent Vodafone’s aggressive takeover.
However, Vivendi’s alliance with Vodafone left Mannesmann without further
options.
Although hastily conceived, the intention to create a multi-access
Internet portal in Europe is an appealing concept to investors who
have given it their support. Since then, the details have been inked and
work has begun on the portal.
The new multi-access portal, headed by Chief Executive Evan Newmark,
will inevitably have a “mobile bias”, coming from Europe’s leading
mobile vendor.
Together, Vodafone and Vivendi have pan-European coverage, with
Vodafone strong in the U.K., Germany and Italy. VivendiNet, a joint
venture between Vivendi and Canal+, has similar penetration of
France, Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium.
