C.A. Mobile, a Tokyo-based online content provider affiliated with Cyber Agent, has begun auctioning on iBid, a mobile auction site, in collaboration with 0ch, a cell-phone TV station. The site is the first that uses video to profile auctioned items. The service is supported by KDDI’s EZweb and NTT DoCoMo’s i-mode services. There is no charge for viewing iBid. 0ch is free for i-mode users, but costs 105 yen per month for EZweb users.
Alcatel today announced that it has been selected by China Netcom Group, one of China’s incumbent operators, to deploy a 3G field trial network in Beijing. This agreement strengthens Alcatel’s position in 3G in China, having already successfully deployed a similar 3G trial network with China Telecom earlier in the year. This contract was won through Alcatel Shanghai Bell, Alcatel’s flagship Chinese company. Alcatel will provide China Netcom with Alcatel’s end-to-end field-proven Evolium(TM) UMTS solution based on the successful 3G products from Evolium SAS, Alcatel’s joint venture with Fujitsu. This solution includes the state- of-the-art UMTS Multi-standard Base Stations (Node B), a Radio Network Controller (RNC) and the core network elements.
Funded by the European Commission as part of the IST programme, MuLiMob SSA aims to make the most of Europe’s multilingual and multicultural diversity for the benefit of its mobile users and workers, by making information available on current and potential developments and by identifying research to be done.
NEC says it will employ additional platforms from Qualcomm and Ericsson Mobile Platforms as part of their new dual-mode, W-CDMA and GSM/GPRS, 3G handset strategy for global business. NEC recently announced a strategic move to jointly develop system LSIs for 3G; with this platform, they plan to offer a wider range of handsets to meet the demands of 3G mobile operators and end users as 3G market expands globally.
Today SEVEN announced it is powering NTT DoCoMo’s Business mopera Access Simple — a mobile groupware service that enables secure remote access to email, calendar, contacts, and documents via i-mode phones. Available today from NTT DoCoMo’s direct business sales force and NTT DoCoMo’s retail stores throughout Japan, Business mopera Access Simple is a tier-one i-mode service and is a core “i-mode for Business Solutions” offering. NEC and SEVEN partnered to develop Business mopera Access Simple; it is based on SEVEN’s “behind-the-firewall” Server Edition software.
Sharp has signed an agreement with the Japanese division of Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications [Press Release in Japanese] to collaborate on development of cell-phone handsets based on the Symbian operating system for NTT DoCoMo’s FOMA 3G service in Japan. The two companies plan to share selected hardware while developing 3G phones that will be unique to the Sharp and Sony Ericsson brands.
In the Tokyo district of Ikebukuro, about 100 people, including junior high school children and workers on their way to the office, lined up outside a store that opened its doors at 7 a.m. to snap up Nintendo’s new interactive “Nintendo DS” [.jpg image] game consoles. The dual-screen consoles come with a touch panel and built-in chat software, and can be connected to a wireless network to interact with other players. After purchasing the console, many of them immediately opened the box and started playing. Nintendo hopes to sell 5 million consoles worldwide by March 2005.
KDDI and Japanese Internet portal site operator Excite are set to transform into the dynamic duo of PC and mobile synergy. Their brand new “Duogate” co-venture will give KDDI’s au mobile handset owners full access to mega-sized celly contents — from music to games to videos — right on the PC (and vice versa).
In an effort to reduce fraud involving prepaid handsets, Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications together with telecos has announced a series of security measures to take effect by spring of 2005. As reported by Wireless Watch Japan earlier this week, politicians as well as the media have been making a lot of noise about doing away with pre-paid service entirely after their use in several high-profile fraud cases last year (which would make Japan the only market anywhere to do so). Such a move would come down hardest on Vodafone, the dominant player in Japan’s prepaid handset market.
Wherein Dr. Brian Clark fields questions from the Japanese media at a presser [WWJ Video here] held 16 November 2004; the good CEO responds to queries related to expected 3G subscriber numbers (“We don’t issue forecasts for customer numbers ahead of time”), sourcing 3G terminals from Korea (Korean terminals are not appropriate), and what percentage of customers use prepaid — and how will a ban affect overall performance (“Current base is about 11 percent; prepaid is a fundamental customer benefit”), among others. For wireless watchers, today’s Portable Reportable — a direct look at the inner workings of Japan mobile — is not to be missed.
