Wireless News
Wireless News

Wireless News

Visto Powers Vodafone K.K. Launch of Japan's First ''True Push'' Wireless Email

Visto Corporation, a leading global provider of secure push mobile email, today announced that Visto Mobile 5 with ConstantSync technology has been chosen by Vodafone K.K. to power Vodafone Office Mail, Japan’s first “True Push” wireless email service. Visto’s device-agnostic push wireless email offering enables Vodafone K.K., to deliver secure push email and PIM on leading handsets, starting with the Vodafone 702NK II (Nokia 6680). This release of the Vodafone Office Mail service follows Visto’s signature of a global contract with Vodafone Group Plc announced in April 2005. Japan is the latest region to launch a Vodafone wireless push email service powered by Visto Mobile.

Sharp Launches WX-T91 in Taiwan

Sharp and Fareastone have launched a version of Vodafone’s 903SH [.jpg] 3G phone in Taiwan. Designed to run on GSM/GPRS and W-CDMA 3G networks, the WX-T91 [.jpg] features the same 3.2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, USB and infrared features, as well as a MiniSD card slot (supporting up to 1GB), an MP3/AAC music player and a bar-code scanner. It also supports Video/TV-Out enabling users to view their pictures and play games on their TV screens. The unit comes in three colors: black, red and white at an estimated retail price of almost $800 — approx. triple the street price in Japan.

Kyocera and Lockdown Networks Announce Strategic Relationship

Kyocera Communication Systems and Lockdown Networks, Inc., today announced that they have formed a Strategic Relationship through which KCCS will bring Lockdown’s market-leading Lockdown Enforcer product line to Japan. “Enforcer is by far the best fit with the needs of real-world customers that must ensure their networks are protected from attacks by worms, viruses, spyware, unauthorized access, and other endpoint-based threats to their network,” said Yoshihito Kurose, Director and Senior General Manager of KCCS’s IP Service Group. “Lockdown NAC was the logical choice, because it works with customers’ existing switch and wireless access point infrastructure, supports all IP-devices anywhere in the network, operates continuously rather than just at time of admission, and takes decision-making input from a wide variety of sources.”

Video Call Charges Reduced by 50%

Vodafone K.K. just announced that it will revise its Priority Support discount service for people with disabilities by reducing video call charges by 50% effective from the February 2006. Priority Support is a discount service available to customers who have been issued a Certificate for Persons with Physical Disabilities, a Certificate for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, or a Certificate for Persons with Mental Disabilities, to make Vodafone K.K.’s services more accessible by reducing basic*2, call*3 and mail*4 sending/receiving charges by 50%. With this revision, video call charges will also be applicable so Priority Support customers can make video calls for half the normal communication charge.

Vodafone Should Exit Japan/US

Sir John Bond, who becomes Vodafone’s chairman in July, should review its global strategy. The mobile operator is in investors’ bad books, with its shares trading at a steep discount to the sum of its parts. But a change of strategy — if cleverly executed — could replace the discount with a premium. The solution is to sell Vodafone’s Japanese and US businesses. Not that it will be easy to exit them well.

U.S. Asks Japan to Increase Transparency

The U.S. called on Japan to increase regulatory transparency in the telecommunications and information technology sectors on Wednesday as it delivered its annual set of government reform recommendations. The proposals were presented by Wendy Cutler, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) for Japan, Korea, and APEC Affairs to Japanese government officials as a bilateral meeting began in Seattle, Wash. They were made under the U.S.-Japan Regulatory Reform and Competition Policy Initiative, which was started in 2001 to promote economic ties between the two countries.