The iPhone 3G, which launched today with much fanfare, has set software and hardware vendors scrambling to capitalise on the device’s popularity.
The device was first available at Optus’s George Street store in Sydney at midnight this morning, with Vodafone following soon after with its 7 am launch.
Unlike the Optus and Vodafone launches, Telstra’s unveiling did not feature any popular celebrity personalities. Instead, the company took the chance to laud its 3G network, on which the iPhone can operate.
“Australians are very excited about iPhone 3G and we're delighted to bring this product to them on Telstra's high-speed Next G network," said David Moffatt, Telstra's consumer group managing director.
But the three telcos offering the iPhone 3G aren’t the only companies excited about the launch.
Wi-Fi hotspot vendor Tomizone, for one, is looking to capitalise on the device’s popularity, launching its own promotion to coincide with the iPhone 3G’s launch.
Under the promotion, iPhone 3G and iPod Touch users will have three months' free access to Tomizone’s 600 or more Wi-Fi hotspots throughout Australiasia.
“The iPhone is the hottest new product on the market and Apple has predicted iPhone sales of about 10 million this year,” said Tomizone CEO Steve Simms.
“Tomizone is supporting Apple’s innovation by making our Wi-Fi network available for free, and also encouraging more people to become Tomizone Hotspot owners.”
Users can use email, the web and download music via the hotspots.
Simms hopes the promotion will boost Tomizone’s popularity with businesses looking to attract iPhone users in the region.
After the three-month free period, Tomizone iPhone and iPod Touch users can choose several paid options.
Half of the revenue earned by the promotion will be distributed to businesses operating a Tomizone device.
Apple itself has been gearing up for the many users set to inundate its iPhone App Store, making sure at least 500 applications were available when the iPhone 3G went on sale.
These applications are either free or charged to the user’s iTunes account when a purchase is made.
In addition to games, Apple will offer productivity tools through the store, apparently in an attempt to banish the ‘consumer only’ tag of the iPhone.
Salesforce.com’s CRM applications and Force.com platform, for example, are available through the iPhone App Store.
“[The iPhone] Salesforce CRM and the Force.com platform are a great combination that gives enterprises a new suite of mobile business applications delivered when and where their users need them,” said Chuck Dietrich, vice president of Salesforce Mobile, Salesforce.com.
