Telefónica O2 is now the only operator on the Czech market to offer its clients a new service that enables them to back up the data on their mobile phones remotely. This applies to items in their contact list and notes in their calendars. Using the mobile network, they can send this data to a secure data server, on which they can back it up and access it again in the future should the need arise.
This new feature is being provided as another free benefit for all who are registered in the O2 Extra customer program. Registration and participation in the program are free and can be carried out at www.o2extra.cz in the Moje Extra (My Extra) section. The only condition for use of the O2 Záloha (O2 Backup) service is that the user's phone must support SyncML technology, which most modern handsets can do.
"Nearly everyone has experience with losing or damaging a mobile phone or perhaps with the situation of a child unintentionally erasing entire entries. In these cases, the biggest problem is the loss of all saved contacts. It is now possible to get a new handset for a couple of crowns and we know how to change a SIM card with an old number within seconds, but until now saved data was irreplaceable," says Bohdan Tetiva, Director for Product Marketing and Public Loyalty programs, Telefónica O2, adding, "Similar services have proven successful in Great Britain and Spain, where we have been offering them for a while now."< /em>
Using the service is very easy. Those interested simply click on O2 Záloha in the Moje Extra section at www.o2extra.cz. They then enter their device's phone number, after which they will receive an SMS with an authorization code. The application then guides them through synchronization selection and settings in five easy steps. In accordance with the instructions, this is confirmed in the phone's menu and all data is sent through a mobile network to the O2 backup server. The customer does not pay for data storage, the SMS they receive, or even for connecting to the internet during synchronization.
The main benefit (in comparison with the classic backup method using a cable and a PC) is the fact that the customer's data is safely stored in O2's professional backup datacenters. With this customers can access their data from any computer (or phone) connected to the Internet, and they won't lose their data in the event that their own computers are damaged.
The technology only backs up data that has been stored in the phone's memory. Whenever someone saves a contact onto a SIM card, it is important to copy this contact into the phone's memory before backing up. The service also requires the mobile phone that supports GPRS data transfers (a standard feature). There are currently 40 handsets for which the data backup service can be used, which represents around 1.1 million O2 service users. The number of supporting phones will expand gradually and other functions will be added to this service.