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Hey everyone,
On the O2 Community we regularly trial and beta test various products and services that we're considering bringing to the market. This has allowed us to involve many of our members who have helped provide feedback, comments and thoughts which in turn has helped our teams shape and explore the product or service further. This has ultimately helped us decide whether to bring it to market or not, or how to improve it before we launch it as a final product or service.
With sincere thanks to any and all members who have been involved in any of these over the years, here are some of the trials and beta tests we've run on the O2 Community 
O2 Smart Home
This beta trial involved members testing out smart home products such as cameras, motion sensors, and smart plugs. Our triallists for this then provided feedback on functionality, reported bugs and other issues, and generally helped improve the customer experience of O2 Smart Home. Another great thing to come from this O2 Community trial was setup and tutorial videos that some of our members created for it, which in turned helped other triallists.
Connected Car
In this beta trial our O2 Community members connected a smart diagnostic tool to their car which provided the driver with insights into their driving habits. These insights then in turn helped the driver understand how they could change their driving habits to help save fuel, insurance costs, and view diagnostic data that could help keep their car running in peak condition. Our testers helped provide regular feedback, and thanks to that, the O2 Community directly helped iron out some teething issues and develop the product further.
Other trials and tests
In addition to the above, our Community members have also tested and helped with the development of various other products and apps ranging from music to messaging, some of which have developed into full products that are either being used by many people today, or had been used by many customers prior to that product or service closing.
Why did we run these trials and tests?
It's important to us that we listen to customers when it comes to developing our products and services, and the O2 Community has been an essential part of that for many years now, helping shape the product or service and really making a difference. Some of the products that were in beta testing in the past ended up not going to market (such as Connected Car, above), however without the Community's help we might not have figured that out as quickly as we did, enabling us to move forward and shift focus towards other exciting ideas and projects.
It's been amazing to see all the excitement and engagement around these projects so far with the private testing groups we've created for each of them, which has helped provide a dedicated space for any and all discussions and feedback. We've also seen some excellent guides and other help topics, discussions, and support generated or inspired by our amazing participants which is always really great to see!
We'd love for more Community members to be aware of these opportunities going forward and join in, so we'll be sharing regular updates related to anything that's currently going on with these initiatives. We'd love for you to get a glimpse into what's happening behind the scenes. 
What are we currently doing?
This year, we have launched two exciting Community initiatives that have helped shape the future of these products and services, and also offer interesting insights and updates to those who participate.
O2 Aura trial
An on-going project which was started last year, where Community members collaborate together with our development team to improve Aura - the virtual assistant within the My O2 app - by testing user journeys and providing valuable insights into what they would like Aura to be able to help with. We'd like to ensure we're increasingly meeting our customers needs with Aura so who better to ask than the O2 Community! 
Network Members Programme
Launched in July, this programme allows us to tap into the network expertise and knowledge of our active community members, so that they can help their friends, family and fellow community members with whatever network query they may have. Using a special section of the O2 Community, we share deeper updates and insights around our network, new and innovative or emerging technologies and our evolving network tools.
O2 Priority Research Panel
This latest initiative revolves around developing the user experience of our Priority app by gathering feedback, ideas and insights from participants in various formats including the usual community discussions, and also occasional virtual meetups or phone calls.
Who can join? Would you like to get involved?
Joining the O2 Community (if you're not yet registered) and participating in any of the initiatives above could give you the chance to help make a difference and shape our products and services, and can also give you interesting insights into the development process and some of the interesting elements behind the scenes at O2. Who and how many members we're looking for depends on the project, but our current ones - especially the Aura trial and the Priority Research Panel - are on-going projects that we're currently recruiting for, so don't hesitate to drop us a message if you're interested.
