Motorola has unveiled a PDA-phone based on the Windows operating system, giving the company a product range that now spans three major smart phone platforms. Based on Microsoft’s Smartphone 2002 software, joins other recently-launched Motorola phones using the rival Linux and Symbian operating systems. For now the phone will only be available in Hong Kong, according to a Motorola spokesman.
KDDI has announced a contract with Hutchison CAT Wireless Multimedia Ltd., a leading cellular phone carrier in Thailand, for the construction of a high-precision global positioning system (GPS). The contract is based on the gpsOne system which KDDI presently offers in Japan in cooperation with NEC as EZ NAVI, and is worth a total of approximately 1 billion yen. In constructing the new system, KDDI will cooperate with Snap Track, Inc., regarding the gpsOne system license and technological support.
NetVillage will collaborate with China Trust Tai-He Digitech Hangzhou (CTTH) to provide content to C-mode PHS services offered by China Telecom and China Netcom. There are about 20 million PHS users in China, and the number is expected to top 26 million by year-end.
Putting its money where its mouth is, NTT DoCoMo is establishing DoCoMo Communications Laboratories Beijing Co. Ltd. to further research on fourth-generation wireless technology. The wireless communications research center will be tasked with researching the technology, as well as promoting it in Japan and China.
KDDI’s local subsidiary in China, KDDI Shanghai will establish a sales office in Wuxi City Jiangsu Province, and KDDI China will establish another sales office in Dalian City, Liaoning Province. These new offices, combined with the existing offices of the KDDI group, will enable KDDI to cover 80% of those areas in China that have Japanese companies based in them. Therefore KDDI will be able to respond quickly to the communications needs of client companies.
Boasting camera phones, Japanese mobile phones are rapidly making inroads into the domestic market and secured a two digit market share alerting domestic companies. There are concerns that Korean companies set up strong bulwark as Nokia and Motorola, the no. 1 and no. 2 mobile phone makers in the world, pulled out of the domestic market or secured a paltry 3 ~ 4% outmaneuvered by home-grown major companies such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and Pantech & Curitel.
