vente-privee.com, a global leader in event-driven online sales is the first enterprise to use this service for its mobile application
Shopping on the go, buying travel or making an insurance claim to become simpler in France as YouConnect removes the need to input the same data to different online sites
Paris, May 23, 2012 – The three largest mobile service providers in France – Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom – have joined forces with Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU)to launch a Beta service that will make it easier and faster for consumers to input information to mobile applications and websites via their mobile phone or tablet device.
Mobile devices like smartphones and tablets have made it easy to access websites on the move; however, providing personal information to online commercial services such as retailers can be hampered by the small screens or virtual keyboards employed by such devices.
YouConnect – being launched by Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Alcatel Lucent – will enable consumers to upload the information they regularly supply online services, and then, with a single click, give permission for that personal profile to be accessed quickly and securely when requested by a vendor or service provider – making it much more likely that people will complete their transactions instead of giving up.
Stephen Carter, President, Europe, Middle East and Africa at Alcatel-Lucent said: “YouConnect is helping to address a significant need for mobile commerce in France. Retailers and other online businesses want to ensure their interaction with customers and users of their sites is seamless, and not restricted by either a particular mobile operator or indeed a particular type of device. By coming together, the four members of YouConnect have found a solution that addresses the needs of these businesses without the cumbersome process of having to create individual systems for each service provider.”
The first enterprise to partner with YouConnect is vente-privee.com, a global leader in event-driven online sales. For vente-privee.com, YouConnect provides access to a large new group of potential customers. When promoting their online sales, vente-privee.com is assured that virtually more than 47 millions subscribers* will be able to gain easy access to their online sales using a mobile device.
vente-privee.com and other enterprises and organizations which partner with YouConnect will thus benefit from Alcatel-Lucent’s Open API (Application Programming Interface) Platform allowing software developers to only create an application once, with the confidence it can be used by virtually anyone with a mobile device. This makes it easier for developers from enterprise such as vente-privee.com to create more innovative programs that attract even more customers and users to their sites.
YouConnect is an example of Alcatel-Lucent’s Application Enablement strategy bringing value to operators by enabling them to transform their networks into platforms for innovation. Through the use of Alcatel-Lucent’s Open API platform, YouConnect provides a valuable way for service providers to work with enterprise partners and application developers to create enticing and valuable sites for mobile subscribers.
While the first use of the YouConnect service will be for the sale of goods, there are many enterprises and organizations which can benefit from mobile subscribers having easy and quick access to their sites. Other possible YouConnect partners include representatives of the transportation, government, insurance and health care sectors, making it easier for their customers to interact easily and quickly from wherever they are.
About vente-privee.com
vente-privee.com founded the online sales event concept and is the global leader in the sector. Specialising in selling brand overstock since 2001, online sales are exclusive to its 15 million members in Europe. Registration to the vente-privee.com club is free and with no purchase obligation. Sales are for a limited time only (3 to 5 days) and are organised in close collaboration with over 1,500 major international brands in all product categories: ready to wear, fashion accessories, music, homeware, toys, sports equipment, high-tech, gastronomy…Thanks to its partnerships with brands, vente-privee.com offers irresistible discounts (50-70% off). With 1,500 employees in 8 European countries, vente-privee.com generated 1.073 billion Euros (900 million pounds) in gross turnover in 2011, an 11% increase from 2010. In 2011, the website launched in the United States in partnership with American Express.
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* source: ARCEP The French Telecommunications and Posts Regulator – Telecommunications observatory (mobile market) -December 2011
About Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU)
The long-trusted partner of service providers, enterprises and governments around the world, Alcatel-Lucent is a leading innovator in the field of networking and communications technology, products and services. The company is home to Bell Labs, one of the world’s foremost research centers, responsible for breakthroughs that have shaped the networking and communications industry. Alcatel-Lucent was named one of MIT Technology Review’s 2012 Top 50 list of the “World’s Most Innovative Companies” for breakthroughs such as lightRadio™, which cuts power consumption and operating costs on wireless networks while delivering lightning fast Internet access. Through such innovations, Alcatel-Lucent is making communications more sustainable, more affordable and more accessible as we pursue our mission – Realizing the Potential of a Connected World.
With operations in more than 130 countries and one of the most experienced global services organizations in the industry, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with global reach. The Company achieved revenues of Euro 15.3 billion in 2011 and is incorporated in France and headquartered in Paris.
For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com, read the latest posts on the Alcatel-Lucent blog: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/blog and follow the Company on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Alcatel_Lucent.
Contact the Alcatel-Lucent Press Office:press@alcatel-lucent.com
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