Braille Live

Vodafone Speak for Consumers and Mobile Speak Gold for Enterprises
Barcelona (Terrassa), Spain, December, 17, 2009
After more than four years of collaboration between Code Factory and Vodafone Spain, 2009 has been a landmark year for this winning duo. During the year, Vodafone Speak was launched for Vodafone’s Spanish customers, and Mobile Speak Gold for one of Vodafone Spain’s biggest corporate accounts, ONCE, the Spanish Association for the Blind.

Vodafone Speak is the result of the unprecedented cooperation between the two companies. It is a revolutionary screen reader for mobile phones that the whole world is envious of. Spanish Vodafone clients only need to send a keyword by SMS to a short phone number to receive a free SMS reply containing a link to automatically download and install Vodafone Speak on their compatible mobile phone. Vodafone Speak then works for 30 days free of charge, after which users are asked each month to pay 3 Euros to renew their subscription for an additional 30 days, with the cost charged directly to their Vodafone phone bill.

Mobile Speak Gold is the result of Code Factory and Vodafone Spain’s desire to give the best service to ONCE, their most important Spanish customer. ONCE is the world largest national association for the blind and employs over 40 000 blind, visually-impaired and sighted staff, as well as people with other disabilities. Together Vodafone Spain and Code Factory put forward their joint resources to win this corporate account. One of the key proposals was the Mobile Speak Gold service, a bundle of products including Mobile Speak, Mobile Magnifier, Mobile DAISY Player, Color Recognizer and Games Pack. Thanks to a very creative licensing system based on over-the-air technology, Code Factory allowed the activation of Mobile Speak Gold on more than 5000 handsets in only a few weeks, significantly reducing the logistical issues of software download and installation.

“The partnership between Code Factory and Vodafone Spain is entirely unique. Vodafone is the only carrier providing not only an accessible service for our community, but which integrates the accessible service into their own platform. In the case of Vodafone Speak, it is a service we can subscribe to just like any other mainstream services from the carrier. To be able to use the same channels as everyone else is a huge achievement for the Spanish blind and visually impaired community” explained Maria Jesus Varela, Director of CIDAT, the Centre of Investigation, Development, and Assistive Technology of ONCE.

“With Code Factory everything seems easy. They are my dreams-come-true makers. They put their technology and creativity in our hands. I say how I would like the future to be and they make it happen” explained Jose Manuel Azorín, Director of the Center of Excellence for Social Products of Vodafone Group, and Marketing Manager of Social Products at Vodafone Spain.

Keep in mind that Vodafone Spain is the only mobile operator in the world with a marketing team of five persons exclusively dedicated to products for customers with special needs, including the blind and visually impaired. Vodafone Spain has been recognized for its precursor work and chosen to be the Center of Excellence for Social Products of Vodafone Group. It therefore advises other countries on good practices to follow to serve their customers with special needs.

“Jose Manuel Azorín is the most visionary person I know. Working with him and his team is a great privilege. He knows how to get the best out of us by always bringing on the table the most revolutionary ideas” explained Eduard Sánchez, Code Factory’s CEO.

Hats off to this winning duo, who will surely keep surprising us in 2010 with new products and services for Vodafone’s customers with special needs!