Vodafone

Vodafone Group Plc is the world's leading mobile telecommunications company, with a significant presence in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the United States through the Company's subsidiary undertakings, joint ventures, associated undertakings and investments.

At 30 June 2007, based on the registered customers of mobile telecommunications ventures in which it had ownership interests at that date, the Group had 232 million customers, excluding paging customers, calculated on a proportionate basis in accordance with the Company's percentage interest in these ventures.

Vodafone Group Research and Development was set up to serve the Vodafone Group as a centre of excellence in research and development in mobile communication and its applications - focusing on applied research that is positioned between the basic research under-taken by universities and commercial product development, and providing a systematic programme of work in pursuit of innovation to guide and underpin the Group's business and technical strategy. Vodafone Group R&D is part of Vodafone Group Strategy and New Business. Group R&D is headed up Prof. Michael Walker, who is based in Newbury. Group R&D employs around 150 staff at locations in the UK, the US, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands.