Orange Trials

[Guest zarquon]

Some time ago somebody mentioned Orange trials and explained how to sign up for them, which I duly did, not actually expecting ever to be selected… which to date I haven’t been.

When I first joined something (can’t remember what) made me ask a question via the feedback form and I duly got a reply within a working day.

Also when I joined they made a big thing making sure your details were kept up to date. At the time of joining the M2000 did not appear in the list of phones or PDA, but it only just come on the market, so I have checked every couple of weeks but now, 5 months later, it still isn’t there.

Now I would consider my self a prime candidate for a trial of a 3G enabled M2000 type device, I work in IT and use my M2000 to connect back to our Exchange 2003 Server (but I would, wouldn’t I 8) ) but as there web site is currently set up they have no idea I have an M2000, they think I have an E100 and an HP/Compaq, which was the combo I was using before my M2000.

I have used the feed back form now twice to point out that the list of devices doesn’t include the M1000 or M2000 but never had a response.

Perhaps they are trying to decide weather they are a phone or PDA?

As I said I never expect to be selected (like I nevery expect to win the jackpot on the lottery) but if they use the information to select people as they suggest they do, they are not necessarily find the right people who will give them good feedback on the next generation of products.

So if anyone from Orange Trials is reading this… or has their ear, take note.

[Guest fraser]

Likewise, I consider myself quite a techy user and I work professionally in QA, so I'm a prime candidate for it. I signed up with the trials shortly (SPV) after they started (2 year ago at a guess), and I've had only one offer through. It was for some silly streaming video thing that I wasn't interested on wasting bandwidth on it, so I passed.

I'd completely forgotten about them till you mentioned it. They've probably stopped but they never got round to removing the website.

[Guest dazza12]

I've been on the Trials website pretty much since they launched it. I've only ever been offered one trial, the 3G laptop card, which I participated in.

That's it. Nothing else.

It's very possible that the site is no longer used - maybe the job has passed to another manager who can't be bothered.

I run an Exchange Server (well, SBS 2003) at home, and also I'd be a prime candidate. It's their loss. If they want to get engineers to test things out in the lab, not having a real world test before launch, that's their problem. I think we've proved with the SPV, E100 and E200 that they've now decided to use the first customers as the beta testers anyway.

What is wrong with Orange lately? Every other network seems to be developing their service, Orange isn't.

You can get Blackberry Connect on the Blue Angel with O2 and TMobile, but not Orange, even though they offer the Blackberry. Where's the trial?

Other networks are thinking of launching EDGE, and are currently trialling the new HP that will support it (I know this as my client has been testing it). Where's the trial?

There's a new 3G HTC range to come out soon. Where's the trial? Or are the first customers going to be the real world trial, the bugs get fixed on a later ROM, and the new ROM not offered to existing customers (hint, hint Orange).

[Guest hotphil]

I signed up for the streaming video trial with the SPV (original) and then it all went quiet. Last September however there was a flurry of activity and I've tested some 3G handsets for them. However, the trial just "fizzled out". No "end of trial offer" as promised in the paperwork that was issued (mainly because no one can confirm if the trial has ended or not I guess), the useful bulletin board was taken offline, the weekly feedback phone calls dried up and my contract status is completely screwed. Oh, and Orange 3G currently REALLY doesn't work (and I'm in a large city). It works so poorly that I've gone back to 2.5G handsets. I've not heard a peep from them for 2 months now and have a lovely big pile of 3G handsets that will be unlocked and on eBay if they don't hurry up and ask for them back!

I'm not sure what's going on - think they've given up on trialling. Certainly the "gradual" launch of 3G suggests they're happy to start trying take money for a service that wouldn't even make it IN the door of any half-decent testing department, let alone OUT. Trialling would seem to now be the job of the paying public...

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

What on earth happened to Orange Gatherings? ;)

P

[Guest fraser]

What is wrong with Orange lately? Every other network seems to be developing their service, Orange isn't.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's like the T-shirt "I'm #1, so why try harder?". Once they get to the top, a lot of companies lose their competative edge. Complaceny (sp?) is common in a lot of things. They'll only change when their shareholders start to lose out. Welcome to capitalism 101! ;)

[Guest zarquon]

I'm glad it's not just me that thinks that they are loosing their way a bit... wildfire another prime example.

It smells a bit like the accountants have got control.

Some fifteen years ago, in the early days of CDs (I can’t remember the detail so all names and numbers are for the purpose of the narrative) a Record company released a set of new recordings, by the same orchestra, of the 9 Beethoven Symphonies, 1 per CD. Four months later it was noted that numbers 5, 7 and 8 were not selling as well as the others, so they were deleted from the catalogue. Now anybody who was buying one or two month (these were full price classical CD remember) could no longer get a complete set if they were buying them in numerical order. There only solution was to try and get hold of the box set version (£130) that had been also released at the same time and also now deleted, and end up with duplicates of the ones thy had already purchased.

It feels like Orange is going through the same thing. Just wait, they’ll start switching of transmitters in remote areas as ‘not many people use them’ or between 1am and 5am as most people are asleep. 8)

[Guest Paul [MVP]]

Don't even joke ;)

P

[Guest ClintEastman]

I've not heard a peep from them for 2 months now and have a lovely big pile of 3G handsets that will be unlocked and on eBay if they don't hurry up and ask for them back!

I'm not sure what's going on - think they've given up on trialling. Certainly the "gradual" launch of 3G suggests they're happy to start trying take money for a service that wouldn't even make it IN the door of any half-decent testing department, let alone OUT. Trialling would seem to now be the job of the paying public...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The 3G trial officially finished last week, yes it went VERY quite (the trial was running but there were no calls being made to members). As for Orange asking for the phone back, they won't, any trial phones you have are now the property of you, do with them as you will. You are right, fizzled out to nothing! (But free phones are ok by me!!).

[Guest C500mad]

I think the words france and telecom are a major reason for these things - They need orange to generate profit for them so to do that loads of good things go out the window