DoCoMo
DoCoMo

DoCoMo

Welcome to Japan's Wireless Frontier

Welcome to Japan's Wireless FrontierCurrently in it’s 11th year, Wireless Japan is evolving from Japan’s largest wireless & Mobile network technologies and services trade show into one of the largest in Asia. This event has become the hub of wireless dedicated gatherings in Asia with over 150 exhibitors and 30,000 attendees expected. Running July 19 – 21 at the space-age Tokyo BigSite exhibition center the annual event is attended, and endorsed, by most of the major players in mobile.

WWJ was on the scene, as usual, we have video interviews with Qualcomm about their new MediaFlo digital tv efforts and a hands-on demo with HTC’s new smartphone coming soon from DoCoMo. We also attended the Mobile Entertainment Forum session this afternoon and will have some of the presentations from that coming online as well. Meanwhile here’s a quick peek at some of the sights and sounds from the show floor today and links to our coverage from the event in years past.

DoCoMo Announces 9 Search Partners

DoCoMo just announced that their users will be able to do keyword searches from the top page of the Japanese i-mode menu for easier access to official i-mode sites. In addition, the search results page will provide links to nine search engines so users can view non-official i-mode sites and other websites with the same keyword. The new service will be offered from October. No special set-up is required, and the search box will be automatically displayed from the service launch according to the statement.

Guppy Games Signs with Kotobuki

Guppy Games has selected Kotobuki Solution Co., Ltd. (KEMCO Japan) as their distribution partner for releasing mobile game contents in Japan. The first title for distribution will be Jump Girls with an expected launch by fall 2006. Jump Girls is a strategy puzzle game jointly developed by ZIO Interactive which has been very popular on South Korean carriers. KEMCO Japan will be the distribution partner for launching Jump Girls with the four major Japanese carriers: NTT DoCoMo, KDDI, Vodafone, and Willcom.

DoCoMo to Offer AirTight SpectraGaurd

AirTight Networks has announced that DoCoMo Engineering Shikoku has signed an agreement to resell SpectraGuard wireless intrusion prevention solutions (WIPS) in Japan. DoCoMo Engineering Shikoku is the first Japanese reseller signed by Active Inc. — AirTight Networks’ distributor for the Japanese market. “Japan is an important market for our company, and there is no better endorsement for AirTight Networks than to have DoCoMo Engineering Shikoku reselling our solutions,” said Dennis Tsu, vice president of marketing at AirTight Networks.

DoCoMo R&D – Wireless Charger

Every once in awhile we come across something from DoCoMo’s Yokoska R&D labs that really turns our head and this is a great example, Video Here. The company appears to be working on a wireless charger function for enabled handsets to ‘juice-up’ while away from the home station charger cradle. As the increase of power hungry on-board applications continue to push usage and drainage this would seem to be a logical pursuit that we forsee becoming future reality. Meanwhile, the just announced AquaFairy solution will have to do (?!?) for quick power charge while on the go.

Firms to Get Help in Wireless Market

The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry plans to draw up a new set of rules this fall to allow companies that do not own their own wireless infrastructure to more easily enter the mobile communications business, ministry officials said Thursday. The new rules are aimed at helping companies that lack their own networks to become “virtual mobile network operators” by using the networks of established mobile phone operators, including NTT DoCoMo Inc., KDDI Corp. and Vodafone K.K., the officials said.