<span class="vcard">editors</span>
editors

NEC Mobile Solutions and Handsets at 3GSM

NEC Corporation announced that it will display a series of high-end mobile handsets including the world’s thinnest 2.5G fold-type camera-phone, a prototype HSDPA 3G mobile phone and other end-to-end mobile solutions and handsets at 3GSM World Congress 2006, Barcelona. At this year’s 3GSM World Congress, NEC will unveil a selection of integrated products and services that show how NEC is adding value today to its customers by providing end-to-end solutions. Visit Hall 8, Booth No. A03a.

DoCoMo 3G Overtakes KDDI

As WWJ predicted last month, the latest Telecommunication Carriers Association numbers confirm that DoCoMo has indeed gone on to ‘Grab [the] 3G Lead from KDDI.’ OK — so the news isn’t startling given that the trend for the past several months has been growing in DoCoMo’s favor. The news that has been below almost everyone’s radar screens, however, is the exceptional performance of upstart PHS carrier Willcom and its success in attracting new customers compared to third-place 3G carrier Vodafone. The folks over at Willcom posted a net subscriber gain of 80,200 in January compared to Vodafone’s paltry 17,600 result.

NTT DoCoMo, Nippon TV Form Business Tie-Up

DoCoMo said today that it has agreed with Nippon Television Network Corp. (NTV) on a business tie-up to develop content and related services that combine mobile communications and conventional TV programs. Under the agreement, the companies will form a seven-year limited liability partnership, D.N. dream partners LLP, on April 3, 2006 (tentative), with DoCoMo investing five billion yen and NTV five billion yen. The partnership will invest in content and also develop content itself, including TV programs that can be viewed with mobile phones.

ACCESS NetFront Browser in 11 New Sanyo Handsets

ACCESS Co., Ltd., a global provider of mobile content delivery and Internet access technologies, today announced that its NetFront browser has been deployed in 11 SANYO handset models available in regions throughout the world including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and New Zealand. Powered by NetFront browser, SANYO handsets represent some of the best-selling devices available from SANYO’s mobile operator partners. NetFront has been selected as the browser technology for 11 SANYO handsets, which include the SCP-8300, SCP-9000, SCP-7500, SCP7400/QW, SCP-4920/QW, SCP-8200/QW, SCP-2300/NZ, SCP-9000/NZ, SCP-2300/CA, SCP-8300/CA, and SANYO MVP models.

Mobile Phone Adoption Rates in Japan

Research and Markets have announced the new Wireless World Forum report: Japan Mobile Market 2006 – Your Statistical Guide To Understanding The Mobile Opportunities in Japan 2006-2007. Stating that data from the “Japan Mobile Market” statistical handbook shows that future growth in the Japanese mobile market will be centred on the under 14s and over 55s as 100% penetration is reached in all other age groups. Penetration in the 5-9 year-old age group will more than double from 29% in 2004 to reach 64% in 2007 but the largest number of new subscribers in 2006 will come from the 55-65 age group, with 1.62 million new customers.

RFID Assistant Robot Tests

NTT Communications and Tmsuk will test an RFID-driven shopping assistant robot at a shoping mall in Fukuoka. The robot reads RFID tags embedded in the floor and get information about its location (it doesn’t use GPS or other location technologies). The pilot test will take place on the 9th of February and lasts till the 15th. The robot can assist in-store shoppers as well as remote shoppers at home.

Bouygues Buys NEC Video Platform

NEC Corporation announced that NEC, via its subsidiary NEC France received an order for a video streaming solution from Bouygues Telecom in France. The video streaming platform developed by NEC, which consists of a set of servers and integrated software based on PacketVideo Network Solutions technology, enables Bouygues Telecom customers to watch live TV and a smooth and speedy access to Video-on-Demand on i-mode enabled EDGE Handsets.

NEC & WIND Collaborate on Assisted GPS Commercial Trials

NEC Corporation today announced that it has been collaborating on joint field trials for SUPL-based Assisted GPS location services with WIND, Italy’s leading mobile operator. Following two trials in May and September last year, the companies are please to announce the successful attainment of the high levels of performance and accuracy, required to offer the next generation of location based services.

Sony Ericsson Releases M600 Series

Sony Ericsson has just announced the M600 phone and messaging device [ .jpg image ]. This is a fully-specified email tool and mobile phone rolled into an extremely stylish, slim device featuring a touch screen and handwriting recognition. M600 is the second Symbian OS 9.1 and UIQ 3.0 enabled phone in the Sony Ericsson portfolio offering users great customisation opportunities and the ability to buy personal productivity and other applications from the Sony Ericsson Application Shop. New push email applications, remote synchronisation and expandable memory give owners a UMTS phone and email connectivity in a device that easily fits in their pocket – at just 15mm thick, it is one of the slimmest business UMTS devices of its kind available.

KDDI's Competitive Edge in Japan

Over the past 12 to 18 months the mobile division of KDDI, known here as ‘au,’ has been leading the way in Japan’s cellular marketplace. During a recent interview at the 3G World Forum, one European visitor asked the seemingly obvious question, “What is the main reason for their success?” KDDI au's Competitive Edge in Japan by Mobikyo KK

The reasonable answer is that it’s actually a combination of several factors, but one thing stands out. Compared to the NTT DoCoMo and Vodafone business models, au has a very tight focus on the domestic market. Their attention to detail in customer service and product offerings is not challenged by how the product mix and content offerings might fit into the company’s global strategy — and it shows. This has allowed au to take the lead in areas like GPS, flat-rate data and faster networks, all provided to the consumer on affordable price plans. The carrier now offers a full suite of popular and useful services ranging from Navitime, EZ auctions, EZ book, EZ channel, EZ games, and EZ FM to (recently introduced) mobile IM (‘Hello Messenger’), mobile blogging (‘DuoBlog’) and Lismo.

Looking again at au’s recent blitz of cutting-edge models at Designing Studio last week, just in time for Japan’s peak spring sales season, we were truly impressed; it will be a tough choice for shoppers. The phones and services strongly illustrate one of the most fundamental and important learnings about Japan’s mobile success that we’ve been trumpeting for years.