Carriers
Carriers

Carriers

Windows Live Messenger for DoCoMo

Microsoft Corp. will release a version of its Windows Live Messenger application for use on NTT DoCoMo mobile phones “very soon,” sources at Microsoft say. Windows Live Messenger is Microsoft’s online chat program, which competes with a similar offering from Yahoo Japan Corp. The Japanese mobile version will allow real-time chat with other users on PCs or phones, access to buddy lists, and a “wake-up” feature that will send e-mail to a user’s phone when friends want to chat.

NTT DoCoMo finally needs Microsoft

One of WWJ’s long-time favorite mobile & tech media sites, The Register.co.uk, posted an item last week that stopped us short: “DoCoMo deal opens i-Mode world to Windows Media.”

The point that caught us was right in the opening graf (see if it grabs you too):

“Japanese giant NTT DoCoMo, a long standing Microsoft partner in the world of mobile entertainment, is to port Windows Media DRM (digital rights management) to its 3G handsets, allowing for content to be moved between phones and PCs, and bypassing the Open Mobile Alliance DRM.”

Like us, you probably didn’t need the red ink to highlight this article’s boggling assertion that NTT DoCoMo is a “long standing” Microsoft partner; while the two tech giants may not exactly hate each other, there’s been been little love lost as Microsoft has failed at every step of i-mode’s growth to establish any significant…

eMobile Completes Additional Equity Financing

eMobile, a subsidiary of eAccess Ltd., announced today it has successfully completed another round of equity financing with an additional 27.3 billion yen new capital. Following this transaction, the total paid-in capital (capital shares and capital reserve) of eMobile will reach 143.2 billion yen (capital shares: 71.75 billion yen), and eAccess’ ownership in eMobile will be 46.2%. Together with the recent announcement of the project finance transaction of 220 billion yen, eMobile has secured a combined equity and debt capital of over 360 billion yen. The total capital raised should fully satisfy the funding requirement of eMobile’s business plan, according to a company statement released today.

DoCoMo Making Moves in Hong Kong

Hutchison Telecommunications said it has formed a strategic partnership with NTT DoCoMo of Japan. An industry source familiar with the matter said the two companies are likely to launch mobile applications related to Hutchison Telecom’s 3G mobile platform in Hong Kong. A spokeswoman of Hutchison declined to give further details, but said the two companies will hold a press briefing on the partnership Thursday.

Web Update 1 June: It’s Official>>

Vodafone K.K. Financial Results for Fiscal 2005

Vodafone K.K. has just announced its results for fiscal 2005 (the year ended at 31 March 2006). Positive net customer additions of 169,200 were recorded in the period due to an expanded lineup of handsets well-suited to the Japanese market, improved network coverage, and the launch of attractive price plans. Net customer additions in the period represented an increase of 79,900 compared to 89,300 in the previous fiscal year and achievement of the turnaround plan announced at the beginning of the period. Consolidated operating revenues declined slightly to 1,467.6 billion yen and consolidated ordinary income declined by 51.5% to 74.4 billion yen. Consolidated net profit was 49.5 billion due to an extraordinary profit of 20.0 billion yen.

DoCoMo to Offer Napster Flat-Rate

NTT DoCoMo Inc. plans to make available the flat-rate pricing service of U.S. online music distributor Napster LLC for its new cellphone handsets to be marketed from this summer, informed sources said Saturday. Music distribution has been available for mobile phones at about 300 yen per track in Japan. In the U.S. market, Napster offers more than 2 million pieces of music for users at fixed-rate charges equivalent to about 1,100-1,600 yen a month, they added.