Page 22 - Sphere No.8 (Mar 2003)

SPHERE
20
In Sweden, 3 teams
up with children’s
hospital to help
fund and lay the
groundwork for
providing health
care services
through 3G
technology.
The first flagship
store Negozio 3
opens in Milan on
Dec. 13.
Visitors to the
Auto and
Motorbike
International
Exhibition of
Bologna try the 3
videophones.
Pre-registration
for first 20,000
“Founders”
customers begins
in the UK via its
website.
Carphone
Warehouse and
Phones 4U
become retail
partners to sell 3
products and
services across
the UK.
Launches first
phase of
marketing
campaign to build
consumer
awareness of the
3 brand in UK via
viral, online, and
ambient
marketing.
The 3 logo is
beamed onto
Big Ben on
NewYear’s Eve.
HomeTruths
IN SWEDEN, 3 IS PROVING
that, besides all the fun
stuff like sports content
and multimedia messaging,
the 3 service will have an
important role to play in
areas such as health care.
In co-operation with the
Astrid Lindgrens Children’s
Hospital in Stockholm, 3 has
set up an initiative that will help the care of very sick children in
their homes.
Starting in Spring 2003, mobile teams that treat the sick children
will be equipped with mobile handsets from 3.They will mostly use
videocalls which will make it possible for worried parents to
communicate with the hospital and, via their 3 handsets, directly
show the sick child so that a doctor can judge the child’s condition.
Help from specialists at other hospitals will also be possible.
To further assist health care of children, the company donated
200 handsets and pre-paid subscriptions for 3 services. These
were auctioned to the public – 100 via the Internet and another
100 at a live auction on March 3 involving business leaders and
celebrities. The proceeds – approximately 1.5 million krona
(US$175,000) – will go to SABH (Sjukhusbaserad Avancerad
Barnsjukvård i Hemmet) the department under the Astrid
Lindgrens Children’s Hospital responsible for advanced home-
care for children. The extra cash will allow SABH to support a
second mobile unit and significantly increase its home-care
services to patients.
“We believe that this is the health care of the future,” said
Henrik Almkvist, head of Astrid Lindgrens Children’s Hospital.
“Treating sick children in their homes raises the quality and
efficiency of the care. This is good for the sick children, their
families and for the hospital.”
important technological advancement since the birth of
mobile telephony,” Novari adds.“Also, Italians have a particular
passion for anything that is related to video.They spend more
time in front of the TV than any other Europeans. They also
love fashion and enjoy being noticed.
Maybe that’s why we already have so many people
impatiently waiting for their new 3 videophones. By the
middle of February, we already had over 140,000
reservations!”