Year: <span>2006</span>
Year: 2006

Year: 2006

DoCoMo Announces Specs for Any OS

NTT DoCoMo has announced new terminal specifications, developed jointly with Intel Corporation, that will enable mobile phones to be customized with additional desired operating system or application. The specifications provide an open domain, which is separate from the phone’s default domain containing the preinstalled operating system and applications. A controller enables switching between the domains. The open domain will enable a company, for example, to install an original browser and scheduler, and set an internal security policy for the terminal while individuals will be able to install their own personalized game software.

Japan's FTC Investigates SoftBank

Japan’s antitrust watchdog has questioned new mobile phone operator Softbank Corp. about its sales tactics, a Softbank spokesman said on Tuesday. Officials from the Fair Trade Commission met with Softbank’s wireless unit on Monday to ask for an explanation of new discounts and sales tactics, the spokesman said, declining to elaborate further. The Sankei Shimbun reported the FTC was examining whether recent sales campaigns launched by Softbank are misleading to consumers.

Shockwave to Distribute Japanese Flash Games

CELL Co. Ltd, the leading developer of mobile content in Japan, announced today that it has signed a distribution deal with Shockwave.com to bring CELL’s most popular mobile games to the US market. Shockwave.com will distribute CELL’s games through its live Shockwave Minis offering available to Verizon Wireless customers on select Get It Now-enabled phones. This is the first time CELL games will be available to US customers.

Sierra Wireless Teams with Tomen Electronics

Sierra Wireless and Tomen Electronics Corp. today announced they have signed an agreement that designates Tomen as the primary distributor for all Sierra Wireless products in Japan, marking the formal entry of Sierra Wireless into the Japanese 3G wireless market. Under the terms of the agreement, Tomen will offer sales, integration support, and field application engineering support for all Sierra Wireless products in Japan, including both the AirCard and embedded module product lines.

Softbank Resumes Mobile Transfer Service

AFP has just reported that Softbank, Japan’s newest mobile telephone operator, have resumed accepting MNP applications after a technical glitch over the weekend that prompted strong criticism from rivals. The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry ordered Softbank Mobile to study the cause of the problem which occurred after the firm’s system was overwhelmed by the massive number of customers trying to change their operator. Details after the jump.

New Flexibility of Cell Phones

The much-awaited portable-number service for cell phones has started in Japan, enabling users to change carriers without having to change phone numbers. This is a new convenience for customers, but for the cell-phone carriers – NTT DoCoMo Inc., KDDI Corp. and Softbank Mobile Corp. – it heralds the start of a new war. The ease with which users can change carriers is expected to cause fierce competition. It is hoped that the competition will lead to lower fees, better services and more user options.

SoftBank Halts New MNP Customers

Japanese mobile phone carrier Softbank Mobile Corp., which slashed its prices last week to undercut rivals, said it had to stop taking new applications Sunday because it was flooded by new customers wanting to switch to its service. Softbank stopped accepting new customers shortly after noon Sunday when its computer system couldn’t handle the load, the company said in a news release. It apologized to customers and promised to resume taking switch-over business when it readies the system for increased volume.

DoCoMo 1H Profits off 20 Percent

NTT DoCoMo Inc.’s net profit for the fiscal first half ended 30 September was 20 percent lower than a year earlier, with the decline in net profit to a great extent due to the absence in the first half of one-off gains of the kind made in the corresponding period of last year (when the company booked a special capital gain of 62 bn yen from the sale of its 20-percent stake in Hutchison 3G UK Holdings Ltd.). DoCoMo reported a first-half net profit of 309.82 bn yen, compared to 385.28 bn yen a year earlier.