Samsung UK and Ireland telecommunications and networtks division MD Simon Stanford sees smartphones growth accelerating, with manufacturers having to offer a wider collection of devices to make the experience more accessible 

In spite of a challenging market, 2011 has been a big year for mobile technology, with massive growth in smartphone ownership and the battle of the operating systems really taking hold.

While uncertainty remains over which platform will lead the market in the future, there continues to be huge competition among manufacturers and app developers looking to keep pace with the market.

The next 12 months will see smartphone growth soar even further. The challenge for manufacturers will be to make the smartphone experience accessible to a wider audience through an extended portfolio of devices.

2012 will also be the year in which the tablet market starts to take hold now that consumers have a better understanding of the benefits of the device as both a consumption and productivity tool.

Vodafone UK says increase in data usage and One Net solutions and contract adds help fuel slight increase in service revenues

Vodafone has increased service revenues by 1.1 per cent to £1.27 billion in the UK for its third quarter ending December 31 2011.

The rise was thanks mainly to a strong performance from its enterprise business which grew by 3.1 per cent over the quarter as well as an increase in data usage across its customer base which grew to £220 million over the same period.

The increase in revenues within the enterprise business was attributed to a strong take up of Vodafone’s fixed and mobile products such as

Three slams Ofcom’s decision not to include mobile numbers in a new proposal relating to provider switching saying regulator needs to address the issue “urgently”

Three has called on Ofcom to do more in easing up the process mobile customers have to go through when porting their numbers after the regulator announced it had opened a consultation relating to switching broadband and fixed line providers.

Ofcom announced its ‘Consumer Switching’ consultation today relating to proposals it has to change the process for switching fixed voice and broadband providers on the Openreach copper network.

It says the process will ensure the switching process is “easy and hassle free”

Contract customer base grew 26 per cent in 2011 to hit 1.52m subscribers, meaning Virgin now has more contract customers than prepay for the first time

Virgin Media increased its mobile contract customers by 26 per cent last year to 1.52 million – resulting in the MVNO having more contract customers than prepay for the first time in its history.

The company added 102,500 contract customers in Q4 2011 – almost double what it added in the same quarter a year ago – with 101,000 of them having a Virgin Media cable service.

However Virgin’s prepay customer base fell 19 per last year and it lost 700 of