European powerhouse Vodafone Group plc announced it will begin selling BlackBerry devices and servers from Research In Motion Ltd

European powerhouse Vodafone Group plc announced it will begin selling BlackBerry devices and servers from Research In Motion Ltd. And, in evidence of its growing control over its device providers, Vodafone said the BlackBerrys will feature a new, customized Vodafone-branded icon-driven menu and user interface, which the carrier said would deliver the “same ease of use as Vodafone Live!” “A key part of our strategy is the provision of easy-to-use services that meet the needs of our customers,” said Peter Bamford, Vodafone’s chief marketing officer. “We have worked closely with Research In Motion to deliver this customized BlackBerry solution to ensure that our customers have a seamless, consistent Vodafone experience across a range of devices and service offerings.” Vodafone said it will sell the BlackBerry enterprise edition in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom starting this month. The BlackBerry personal version will be available in December. Vodafone will sell the BlackBerry server with the color-screen 7230 handheld, which features cradleless synchronization and support for Internet, Microsoft Exchange and IBM Lotus Domino e-mail services. Vodafone’s new BlackBerry user interface is indicative of the carrier’s new effort to gain more control over the look and feel of its handsets, which largely started with the launch of its Live! wireless data offering. Vodafone and other international carriers have been keen to see their brand take priority on the phone and to install unique phone software and features.