Carriers
Carriers

Carriers

SoftBank Talking Smartphone with HTC

High Tech Computer Corp, the world’s biggest maker of handsets operating on Microsoft Corp’s mobile operating system, is set to gain a stronger foothold in the Japanese smartphone market by winning orders from Japanese Internet conglomerate Softbank Corp, analysts said yesterday. “The visit of Softbank to High Tech Computer this week will benefit the latter as High Tech Computer has stepped up efforts in making inroads into the Japanese market this year,” Ann Liang, principal analyst at research firm Gartner Inc’s Taiwan branch, told the Taipei Times.

KDDI Adopts Google for Mobile Search

KDDI and Google held a joint press conference today to announce Google search will launch on KDDI/au’s EZ Web mobile platform starting in July. The new service will apparently also include contextual Adwords based on the input text and the companies have stated the tie-up will allow them to test, improve and add more services in the future. The announcement indicates this new tie-up is not aimed exclusively at mobile phones, but will also provide an extensive search service that targets content on fixed-line PCs as well.

Vodafone K.K. Announces Nokia WLAN Handsets

In a rush of press releases from the local carriers today, the news from Vodafone K.K. that it plans to offer two new mobile business devices in autumn 2006 was notable. Both devices, manufactured by Nokia, will run on Vodafone K.K.’s 3G network and on wireless LANs. They are based on the Nokia E60 and E61 models, which are currently available for enterprise customers in Europe and Asia.

We talked about the entry of Nokia e-series business devices back in October 2005; looks like a year later it will finally happen!

Will it be SoftBank or J-Phone?

Since the news first broke that SoftBank was taking over Vodafone K.K., speculation has been rife in the media over the new name of the company. Several (including us) pointed out the logic that switching back to the former well-known and loved J-Phone brand would be a strong move to hit the ground running. However, local media reports over the last few days have carried leaked news stating that it may indeed be called ‘SoftBank Mobile.’ Better place your bets now because the official announcement is due to hit the wires in the next hour or so via a press conference at a downtown Tokyo hotel with SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and Vodafone’s Arun Sarin on hand.

(Update) It’s official: SoftBank Mobile wins! [.PDF]. The press conference live stream is here.

Japan Operators Announce Number Portability

A blast of press releases from all three mobile operators in Japan came though just now stating: “NTT DoCoMo, Inc. and its eight regional subsidiaries, KDDI Corporation, Okinawa Cellular Telephone Company, and Vodafone K.K. today announced the basic procedures for customers to switch mobile phone operators under the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) system, which is scheduled for implementation by November 1, 2006.” (WWJ subscribers log in for details.)

DoCoMo Sees Finance as Key to Growth

NTT DoCoMo aims to expand in finance and other industries to offset slowing growth in mobile phone services. “If DoCoMo is a mobile phone company in five years, our growth will be limited,” said Takeshi Natsuno, DoCoMo’s vice president of multimedia services, said in an interview. “My expectation is to make DoCoMo a more diversified company.” Natsuno, who oversaw the debut of i-mode in 1999, last month introduced the DCMX credit card service that lets customers use handsets to pay for goods and services such as groceries and taxis. The company expects the service to generate as much as 100 billion yen ($912 million) in annual sales in three years.