Wireless News
Wireless News

Wireless News

Mobikyo KK Launches Wireless-Watch.com – Mobile Media Publisher Platform

Mobikyo K.K. today announces the public launch of the Wireless-Watch Community (W-W.Com), a dynamically updated website aggregating high-caliber news and commentary from mobile experts, industry watchers and publishers worldwide. The W-W.Com platform enables established and respected thought leaders to contribute their analysis and insight to a multi-market channel that is on track to become the Web’s most comprehensive resource of independent wireless related information.

Mobikyo K.K. Launches Wireless-Watch.com - Mobile Media Publishers Platform

W-W.Com launches with more than twenty registered community publishers representing a deep cross section of the most credible and insightful reporting on day-to-day developments in mobile and wireless technology, business models, strategies, applications, terminals, convergence and Internet. “The concept is to gather talented regional mobile media publishers into a single portal to raise the online exposure for all, creating a custom, up-to-date news feed and offering dedicated content that will become a daily destination for the industry worldwide,” said Daniel Scuka, chief editor for Mobikyo’s Wireless Watch Japan media site.

All content coming into the system is retained with full click-through to the original source location and the process is entirely automated with no editorial filtering or control. “Following the famous i-mode model, we have built a critical-mass content platform with a generous revenue-share structure that provides a valuable opportunity for publishers and generates a unique offering for our site visitors,” said Lawrence Cosh-Ishii, representative director for Mobikyo.

Softbank Returns New License

Softbank Corp. told the government that the Internet conglomerate will return a license it acquired in November 2005 when the ministry also awarded new carrier licenses to eAccess Ltd. and IP Mobile Inc., Softbank said it has adopted the more cost-effective measure of using the infrastructure set up by Vodafone K.K., Vodafone Plc.’s Japan arm, rather than starting business from scratch. Softbank President Masayoshi Son met Heizo Takenaka, the communications minister, to inform him that he was returning the business license.

DoCoMo Releases FY 2005 Fiscal Results

NTT DoCoMo today announced consolidated financial results for the company and its subsidiaries for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2006. According to the companies published highlights: operating revenues were down 1.6%, operating income was up 6.2%, income before taxes was off 26.1% and net income was down 18.3% year-on-year (link for the full 47-page report is available after log-in).

BTMU, KDDI Announce Mobile Banking JV

The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ and KDDI Corp. announced they will jointly set up a bank that will offer money transfer, settlement and other financial services through mobile phones. BTMU and the “au” mobile phone operator have agreed to establish a preparatory company, possibly in May. Japan’s first Internet-based bank designed for handset users is expected to start operations in early 2007, they said. [Thus confirming our earlier post here on 13 April — Eds]

Kyocera Net Profit Jumps 52%

Japan’s largest electronics component maker Kyocera Corp said its net profit in the year to March 2006 (FY05) surged 52 pct and it expects a further improvement this year thanks to a turnaround in demand for digital consumer products. Kyocera also pointed to a major improvement in profitability at its US cellular phone handset-making unit, Kyocera Wireless.

SoftBank Assumes Control of Vodafone K.K.

Vodafone K.K. just announced that today’s Extraordinary General Meeting and Board of Directors Meeting saw the company officially appoint a new slate of directors and executive officers, who assume their posts effective today. Masayoshi Son is now Representative Executive Officer, President & CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of, the soon to be former, Vodafone K.K. (Subscribers login for full details on the new management line-up).