Orange brand ''Just Talk'' prepaid card launched

By Alok Agarwal | 07 Dec 2000

Hutchison Max Telecom Limited, the owner of the Orange brand of cellular services in Mumbai, has launched its global brand of prepaid card - Just Talk - for its customers in the city. Unveiling the card, Mr. Sandip Das, chief executive officer of the company said, "We have decided to launch the card to extend the Orange brand experience to our prepaid customers. Like many other innovative features introduced by Orange, Just Talk, for the first time in Mumbai, will offer powerful value added services like WAP and SMS to prepaid customers. As the name suggests, all consumers need to do is just talk."

Just as the Orange brand replaced the Maxtouch brand of Hutchison, the company is spending a lot of money to launch Just Talk, which will effectively wipe out its existing Ace brand of prepaid cards.

The Just Talk prepaid card from Orange is a ready-to-talk, over the counter-prepaid SIM card, with one second billing. It gives customers the benefit of instant activation and has the advantage of minimal documentation coupled with no security deposit and monthly charges among others. It also carries with it easy refilling facility. A customer can buy refill slips available at general outlets across the city and manually refill the card, without having to visit an Orange Shop.

The Just Talk prepaid cards offers reduced airtime rate of Rs 4 per minute from 9.00 am to 9.00 pm and Rs 3 per minute from 9.00 pm to 9.00 am. Fortunately for Orange customers, this offer will be applicable to unused value on all existing prepaid cards.

Customers can also use the facility of SMS or smart messaging service, whereby they can send messages to mobile users in any part of the world, for which they will need to pay only Rs 2 for every message sent. No charges will be levied for incoming messages.

Just Talk customers will also be provided with free WAP service under which they will be able to browse high quality content on news, finance, entertainment, city guides, shopping and travel by accessing Orangeworld, a mobile internet service. Within 6 channels (5 more channels to be added shortly) offered by Orangeworld, customers will have access to a choice of 300 different types of content and services from over 50 content providers. Orange 123 services will also be made available to Just Talk customers. This service provides on-line news update in business, sports, international as well as national politics, weather and pollution. Information on entertainment, cricket scores, astrology, 24-hour service for emergency services like ambulances, police, fire-brigade and bill payments are also covered.

The card will also offer greater convenience by introducing a lower priced prepaid value of Rs. 500 with a validity of 15 days and also extend the validity period of the highest priced prepaid value of Rs 2,500 to 60 days from the existing level of 30 days.