according to Georges Penalver, EVP of Group Strategic Marketing at Orange, as Orange announced that is has extended its Unik service to include 3G handsets and services.

“With the launch of the world’s first 3G UMA service, we are making life as simple as possible for our customers, whilst helping them get more from their mobile phone,” says Georges Penalver, EVP of Group Strategic Marketing at Orange. “Orange was one of the first to bring the benefits of UMA technology to our customers in 2006 with the launch of our Unik service. Today, with our new 3G UMA platform, our Unik customers will be able to take advantage of 3G’s capabilities delivering exciting multimedia services, such as Orange Music, Downloads, TV and Video. We have increased the benefits of this innovative technology, delivering a simple and cost-effective solution to meet our customers’ needs. That’s why UMA is at the heart of our convergence strategy.”

Orange's Unik service currently has more than 1 million users across France. Wi-Fi and UMA technology provide a natural complement to 3G services by improving mobile performance indoors, offloading the macro network and delivering a high-speed mobile data experience.

Orange has added two new 3G/UMA handsets to its lineup as part of this service extension. The latest additions to Orange's UMA range are aimed specifically at a younger audience, Gareth Abel, director of marketing operations at Orange's devices division, told Total Telecom. "Until now Unik has been a family-oriented service, but with these new handsets [from Sony Ericsson and Samsung] we are targeting a younger audience, one which is more likely to access [mobile] multimedia services."