Vodafone adds Android to contact sync

Vodafone plans to launch an Android application for Vodafone People, its aggregation service for social-networking contacts.

The operator announced the move on Monday at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The app will be available to all Android users, regardless of their network operator.

Vodafone People is the core application in Vodafone 360, the operator's suite of internet services. The application lets users automatically synchronise their contacts from their handset, plus their social-networking, chat and email accounts, into a single address book.

"Introducing an app for Android phones is a significant step forward, and we expect to announce the inclusion of additional platforms and devices in the near future," Vodafone internet services director Pieter Knook said in a statement.

"Today, the Vodafone People service is available on 100 phones across five platforms, and to customers of any network."

Vodafone has not announced the specific timing of the Android app launch, describing it only as "imminent". It is, however, demonstrating the app at Mobile World Congress this week.