BT's Fusion for biz shy on details

THERE'S precious little to suggest the BT Fusion fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) offering is working magic among consumers but that isn't stopping Beattie from going ahead with an early 2007 launch for its business sibling.

Although yesterday's London conference was ostensibly to update hacks and analysts on BT Global Services, this much we know from the surprise Fusion announcement:

The service is called Corporate Fusion and offers business buyers the chance to use one handset for mobile and office calls.

It uses Wi-Fi, rather than the consumer version's Bluetooth, to route office calls over existing fixed lines.

It will launch in the UK and Italy in “early 2007” with a phased rollout to Germany, France, Spain and Benelux countries thereafter.

It will offer call-forwarding and integration with the company PBX and directories.

BT sees lower call costs, less need for roaming charges and convenience as advantages.

Things we don't know about Corporate Fusion include these:

Names of handset vendors. Motorola makes the only handsets for the consumer Fusion but BT will only say it will reveal names of handset providers “in the coming weeks”. However, the company has said there will be more than one brand available.

Leeds City Council is so far the only named UK trial site. BT said it had about 50 approaches by potential sites.

How BT plans to bill for the service. This is “still being worked out” and could use a mobile-like count tariff or managed-service packages.

Whether consumer Fusion has been successful. BT is not giving out numbers and until it does, sceptics will doubt that uptake has been rapid.

So, in the words of the grammarian, past uncertain, future tense. Still, the sight of a British firm leading the way on FMC is A Good Thing we say. µ