The hundreds of thousands of music and technology fans whose life revolves around being always connected will be the first people to try Szigetfone, especially developed for Sziget festival-goers, Sziget InfoSMS, a free text message service with useful information and updates and a top up card payment system.

Everyone purchasing a one week or a one day pass will be eligible for a Szigetfone handset and will be able to communicate nationally and internationally at the extremely low VitaMAX Sziget tariff. The phone itself is entirely trendy and can be personalized according to musical styles.

Szigetfone released by Vodafone Hungary is the ideal companion for visitors to Central Europe’s most popular music festival. The handset is hardwearing, but its real beauty lies within: Szigetfone in conjunction with the Sziget tariff offers uniquely low call rates for music fans. Szigetfone users can call or text each other for as little as 10 HUF/minute. Since the festival has a large international audience including visitors from neighbouring countries as well as Germany, Holland and the UK, they can call their friends and relatives back home for only 100 HUF/minute and text their experiences for only 30 HUF/minute.

But the Sziget tariff is not just for festival-goers, all pay as you go Vodafone customers can take advantage of it. The tariff will be available guaranteed until 31 December 2010, the international phone call rates will remain at the uniquely low 100 HUF/minute until 31 August 2010.

The Szigetfone won’t put a huge dent in the festival-goers’ budget for beer and entertainment either: the Vodafone 248 handset that can be customised with numerous bolt-ons and comes topped up with 2000 HUF, will be available for one day pass holders for 4000 HUF and to weekly pass holders for only 2000 HUF. Thus the Sziget tariff provides 200 minutes of call time with other festival-goers, friends and family.

Those desiring more than the basic handset can choose the beautifully designed Vodafone 736 for 19,900 HUF, which can send and receive emails. The most demanding customers can opt for the sophisticated Vodafone 845 Android handset for 30,990 HUF.

The Szigetfone that rocks – body painting for Szigetfone fans

Vodafone is preparing a special treat for those who are not satisfied with only customising their Vodafone 248 Szigetfones. They can get a punk, rock, hip hop, afro, disco or reggae style body paint at the Vodafone stand to further identify with their favourite musical style.

As Péter Lakatos, Strategy, Brand and Communications Director at Vodafone Hungary said: “The community of Sziget festival-goers exceeds the population of a town the size of Pécs and represents a subculture – active for a whole week – the inner ties of which we aim to draw even closer, building on shared interests, shared experience and existing and new friendships. In the city of mobile innovation, Vodafone intends to strengthen the connections between Sziget festival-goers.”

Vodafone Sziget InfoSMS – what’s up at Sziget?

The best known international and the best known Hungarian brands cooperating on developing and introducing mobile services are launching a mobile information service in English and Hungarian for Sziget festival-goers. Courtesy of Vodafone, Szigetfone owners and Vodafone customers get can get up-to-the- minute information on performers, changes in the schedule, weather and other relevant updates thanks to the free Sziget InfoSMS service.

“We are excited to present our latest mobile services to the young Sziget audience, who are interested in mobility and the internet. As well as Szigetfone and Sziget InfoSMS, we are introducing our Coffee with a mobile service to Sziget. Furthermore, whilst our mobile payment services – such as the extremely popular mobile parking – were thus far only available to our pay monthly customers, from the end of July these will be freely available to our pay as you go customers as well.” - added Péter Lakatos.

With a pay by the minute ticket it’s worth visiting Sziget even for just one concert

Festival-goers can experience two brand new, cutting edge innovations, which will make their festival experience cheaper and more convenient. Vodafone customers who are only interested in specific concerts will welcome the ‘pay by the minute’ mobile payment service.

The festival-goer will send a text message to a central number and receive a code. At the dedicated desk at the gate by the ‘K’ Bridge he or she will receive their wrist band and to avoid queuing ‘on the clock’ the organisers will install express gates for those using the mobile payment service. Customers can remain on the island for the duration of their favourite programme and the system will be deactivated when they exit.

Cashless Sziget

Another innovation is the payment by card system. Festival-goers receive a card for free, which they can top up at several points on the festival grounds making shopping more convenient. Payment in the VIP area will be by card only, and it will be optional in other shop units.

As main organiser Károly Gerendai said “This system can make festivals more comfortable, cut down on queuing time, there is no time wasted by giving change.” Customers can register their card so should they lose it, it can be disabled, and if there is money left on it by the end of the festival they can retrieve it at one of the top up points."

Source: Sziget Festival