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INTERNATIONAL News of 3/10/2011
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Japanese mobile industry ponders Galapagos Effect
Thursday, March 10, 2011 |
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Summary
Japan has a super-powerful mobile ecosystem worth billions, brimming with futuristic technologies, business models, and experiences that the world wants to emulate. But is it a model or an anomaly? And does it only exist because it was incubated in isolation, and is it now so unique that it cannot be replicated overseas? This is known as the Galapagos effect, and its gone mainstream in the media and especially as a metaphor for whats happening in the Japan mobile industry. In any case, the Galapagos factor is not necessarily all bad, even if it is for real. If it didnt exist, we would have no idea what was coming. And its actually kind of trendy. Sharp even used it t0 brand their newest 3D-screened mobile phone, the GALAPAGOS 003SH9 (which incidentally is driven by the alien Android platform). And if you are lucky enough to live on Galapagos, you can enjoy the latest Galapagos technology, like eyeglasses-less 3D mobile phones, a year before everybody else. (gilesrichter.com) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 1/19/2006
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Melodeo and ACCESS China Form Joint Venture to Deliver Music and Digital Content in China and Japan
Thursday, January 19, 2006 |
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Summary
Melodeo, Inc., a leading provider of software and services that bring digital media content to mobile phones, and ACCESS China Inc., a global leader in creating standards-based software for mobile phones, have formed a joint venture to deliver music and other digital content securely over mobile networks in China and Japan.
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The new entity formed by Melodeo and ACCESS China is providing the first platform in China to enable deployment of secure digital content via leading wireless operators and mobile media service providers. In addition to creating a new platform for digital content, the joint venture will license Melodeo’s market-leading mobile digital rights management (MobilDRM) and search technologies to handset manufacturers for both the China and Japan markets. With over 350 million subscribers, China represents the largest mobile phone market in the world.
(Business Wire) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 12/12/2005
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NTT DoCoMo to Invest in Mobile Payment Business in China
Monday, December 12, 2005 |
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Summary
NTT DoCoMo, Inc. announced today that it will acquire a stake in JUST IN MOBILE INTERNATIONAL COMPANY LIMITED (JMI), for US $6 million. JMI is the holding company of Chinese mobile payment service provider, Just In Mobile. The transaction will take place in January 2006.DoCoMo aims through the investment to boost the services of Just In Mobile in China by providing the know-how that DoCoMo has acquired through its settlement service using mobile phones in Japan. (NTT DoCoMo) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 12/7/2005
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Mobile Marketing Crosses Borders, Integrates Content
Wednesday, December 7, 2005 |
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Summary
Marketing initiatives targeting the mobile consumer must integrate communications and content in order to have the greatest impact, according to a study published this week by researchers at the International University of Japan. Based on the results of 30 in-depth interviews of mobile users in Japan and Indonesia, this research effort developed clearly defined "mental maps" which explain the ebb and flow of consumer perceptions of the mobile Internet. (Cellular New) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 11/23/2005
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NTT DoCoMo CEO: 3G poised to take off in U.S.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005 |
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Summary
Recent consolidation among commercial wireless operators in the U.S. will set the stage for next-generation, or 3G, wireless networks to proliferate in the U.S., said Nobuharu Ono, president and CEO of NTT DoCoMo USA, a subsidiary of Japans largest wireless carrier, speaking at the Radio Club of Americas annual awards banquet on Friday. Ono credited U.S. vendors with wireless innovations such as Wi-Fi and WiMAX, but said their impact is up for debate. He also noted that the U.S. trails far behind Japan in the development of 3G networks and services, which NTT DoCoMo pioneered with the development of its iMODE platform. Such services are extremely popular in Japan, said Ono, who reported that 17 million of NTT DoCoMos subscribers in that country are using 3G handsets. That number is expected to grow to about 23.5 million, which would represent about half of the carriers subscriber base, Ono said. However, he added that the better economics resulting from the mergers would make it more feasible for the three mega-carriers to invest in next-generation networks. The stage is set for the U.S. to once again be a leader in the development of wireless technology, he said. It will be interesting to see how fast 3G services take off now in the U.S. (mrtmag.com) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 11/19/2005
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Japan gets a 2nd chance at global phone market
Saturday, November 19, 2005 |
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Summary
Cellphones here have cash chips that let shoppers swipe them at the register like debit cards. They have crisp color screens for watching television shows and music videos. They have full-fledged Web browsers, and they even have fingerprint readers and cameras with face-recognition software that locks up a phone if an unwanted stranger tries to use it. Interested in getting one? Good luck. You essentially can’t buy one outside Japan. And that is a problem, not just for consumers in the rest of the world but also for Japanese companies that have flooded the world with sophisticated consumer electronics from flat panel televisions to digital cameras - but not cellphones. Somehow, they failed to look overseas for years, even as sales in Japan soared. Then, when those sales slowed in the late 1990s, it was in many ways too late: Nokia, Motorola and Samsung had already sewn up world markets. (IHT) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 10/18/2005
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Nintendo And Wayport Join Forces To Bring Free U.S. Wi-Fi Access To Nintendo DS Users
Tuesday, October 18, 2005 |
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Summary
Nintendo has signed an agreement with Wayport, a leading provider of wired and Wi-Fi high-speed Internet access in public locations, to extend Wi-Fi service to Nintendo DSTM users at nearly 6,000 McDonald’s restaurants across the United States. Through the agreement with Wayport, Nintendo will offer complimentary access to Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection, the video game giant’s new wireless gaming service that goes online Nov. 14. (Gamesindustry.biz) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 8/30/2005
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Japan, China to collaborate on 4G mobile
Tuesday, August 30, 2005 |
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Summary
Japan and China have signed an agreement to develop and standardize 4G mobile phones, according to Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC). The agreement was signed by Feng Jichun, director-general of the China’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), and Kazuhiro Suda, director-general of the Japanese agency. Though MIC has collaborated previously with China’s Ministry of Information Industry, this is the first time the two agencies have worked together. MOST has jurisdiction over new technology development in China, according to a Japanese official. 4G standardization efforts are expected to increase after 2007. In anticipation, Japan and China intend to collaborate, said the Japanese official. The memorandum of understanding also includes an annual information exchange meeting and an annual forum bringing together industrial, academic and government sectors from Japan, China and South Korea. (China Daily) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 4/8/2005
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Ericsson And NTT DoCoMo Complete Wcdma Interoperability Tes
Friday, April 8, 2005 |
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Summary
Swedish telecomms solutions provider Ericsson said that its subsidiary Ericsson Mobile Platforms and the Japanese mobile operator NTT DoCoMo Inc had successfully completed WCDMA interoperability testing. The testing had been conducted using Ericsson Mobile Platforms’ WCDMA/GPRS platform U100 in DoCoMo’s laboratories, and followed by fully completed field tests in DoCoMo’s live FOMA network. Ericsson Mobile Platforms has previously estimated that 30% of all globally sold WCDMA handsets in 2004 used the U100 platform. (Forbes) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 3/24/2005
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Access Licenses Data Application Suite to Datang Mobile
Thursday, March 24, 2005 |
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Summary
Access announced that it has signed a license agreement with Datang Mobile Communications Equipment of Beijing. Under the terms of the agreement, Access will license its data application suite to Datang Mobile for its 3G TD-SCDMA (Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access) solutions. TD-SCDMA is China’s homegrown 3G standard. The suite includes NetFront, a full-featured mobile browser, Java Virtual Machine, and multimedia mail client software. NetFront is widely deployed in the global handset browser market, with more than 150 million users in Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific.
(JapanCorp.net) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 4/23/2004
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Kyocera bets on demand, branding to boost profits
Friday, April 23, 2004 |
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Summary
Continued growth in cellphone sales in North America and developing countries such as Brazil and India should prompt a hike in the 2004/2005 earnings of Kyocera Wireless Corp., its president said on Thursday. The company turned profitable between October and December, said Tsuyoshi Mano, who took office as president in August.
(Reuters) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 4/22/2004
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For-side.com Takes Majority Stake in Korean Wireless Content Provider Ico
Thursday, April 22, 2004 |
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Summary
In a bid to start up its full-fledged 3G (third-generation) mobile content operations in South Korea, For-side.com of Japan has acquired the controlling stake of 50.42% in Ico. Established in February 1997, Ico is one of the leading mobile content providers in South Korea. The company is expected to generate sales of 1.2 billion yen ($11.4 mil) in 2004.
(PhoneContent.com) |
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NTT Data Offering CDMA1x Mobile Content to China Unicom
Thursday, April 22, 2004 |
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Summary
NTT Data and Chinese mobile content provider PDAger have recently forged an alliance in the mobile content business in China. On April 19, the partners began offering subscribers to China Unicom’s CDMA1x cellular service with a wide variety of mobile content, such as games, developed by Japanese content providers Cave, Zentek Technology Japan and Dwango. China Unicom is China’s second largest mobile communications provider. NTT Data and PDAger aim to release a total of 100 titles in fiscal 2004. Plans also call for supporting them on Java, BREW and WAP mobile platforms. NTT Data expects to generate sales of 1 billion yen ($9.3 mil) over the next three years. (JapanCorp.Net) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 4/6/2004
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Japan, China, Korea to Jointly Develop 4G Cell Phone Technology
Tuesday, April 6, 2004 |
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Summary
Japan, China and Korea have agreed to jointly develop communications and other technologies for fourth-generation cellular phones, which are expected to come into commercial use around 2010, sources close to the matter said on April 3. The agreement is aimed at having the three countries adopt a unified communications protocol. Together, they account for about 30% of all cell phone users around the world, so the protocol could eventually become the global standard.
(NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 4/1/2004
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NTT DoCoMo to Acquire Vodafone Group PLC in $200 Billion Global Cash Deal
Thursday, April 1, 2004 |
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Summary
Japanfs mobile phone giant NTT DoCoMo has announced it will acquire Vodafone Group PLC, the world's largest mobile phone operator, in a cash deal said to reach $200 billion. The new entity will be called either DoCoFone or VodaMo, pending talks between the two companies. Analysts cheered the deal as the largest telecoms buyout in history, and one which enables DoCoMo to indirectly acquire its Japan rival Vodafone K.K. Yet shares in both companies tumbled as investors questioned whether the Japanese company could effectively unify Vodafone's patchwork of branded operations in 30+ foreign markets, or correctly pronounce its trademark "How are You" campaign slogan. (Reuters) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 3/29/2004
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KT to Initiate Wireless Internet Roaming Service in Japan
Monday, March 29, 2004 |
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Summary
Korea’s KT Corp is making a foray into the profitable Japanese Internet market. KT announced March 24 that it has set up a business alliance with Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp, Japan’s largest telephone company, to start a roaming, high-speed wireless Internet service. The Korean company also said that its Internet users can easily access airports, hotels and coffee shops in Japan, where NTT’s wireless fidelity(Wi-Fi) standard is available.
(NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 3/5/2004
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World’s DSL Subscribers Reach 63.8 Million, China Sees Big Gain: DSL Forum
Friday, March 5, 2004 |
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Summary
DSL subscribers reached 63.8 million at the end of 2003 on a worldwide basis, up 28 million from a year earlier, according to the DSL Forum, an organization that promotes DSL technologies. As for DSL subscribers, China is the leader, with 10.95 million. It is followed by Japan, with 10,272,052 after adding 4.6 million DSL subscribers in 2003. China and Japan are the only countries that had more than 10 million subscribers. After Japan are the United States, Korea, Germany, France, Taiwan, Italy, Canada, and the UK. (NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 3/3/2004
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HI Corporation Provides 3D Polygon Engine to Chinese Company AMOI Mobile
Wednesday, March 3, 2004 |
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Summary
HI Corporation has announced that it has concluded an agreement with Chinese mobile handset manufacturer AMOI MOBILE CO., LTD. for to license HIs "Mascot Capsule Engine Micro3D Edition" to AMOI for embedding into AMOIs mobile handsets. The agreement recently reached between HI and AMOI calls for HI to supply AMOI a one-year license to embed Micro3D Edition in mobile handsets which AMOI will produce for sale either in China or abroad. The sale of handsets embedded with Micro 3D Edition under this license will start in 2004 (Japancorp.net) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 2/16/2004
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AT&TW Board Nears $38 Billion-Plus Deal
Monday, February 16, 2004 |
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Summary
AT&T Wireless, the U.S. mobile phone group up for sale, called a board meeting Monday to consider recommending a takeover that could value the company at more than $38 billion, sources familiar with the talks said. Cingular, the second-largest U.S. cell phone group, on Sunday raised its offer for its smaller rival to $38 billion, or $14 per share -- a 40 percent premium to its share price before the auction was called last month, another source close to talks said. "They (Cingular) have bid $14 per share," the source said. "We believe Vodafone will at least meet it."
(Reuters) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 2/13/2004
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Japan’s top phone company pulls out of bid for AT&T
Friday, February 13, 2004 |
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Summary
Japans top cellphone carrier NTT DoCoMo has pulled out of a bidding war over AT&T Wireless, the third-biggest US cellphone operator, because of its hefty price tag, reports said. AT&T Wireless had put itself on the auction block and set Friday as a deadline for bids, but DoCoMo has balked at the estimated 3 trillion yen ($28 billion) cost, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun and news agencies said. A DoCoMo spokeswoman said nothing had been decided yet.
(India Times) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 2/5/2004
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Sarin hears the siren call of the US
Thursday, February 5, 2004 |
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Summary
Arun Sarin is in a bind. The 49-year-old chief executive of Vodafone, the world’s largest mobile phone company, has only been in his job for six months but he is already facing what could become one of the biggest challenges of his tenure: how to tackle America. (Telegraph) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 2/3/2004
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Mobile Broadcasting, SK Telecom to Start Service in Japan, Korea
Tuesday, February 3, 2004 |
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Summary
Mobile Broadcasting Corp and Korea’s SK Telecom Co Ltd will both begin services in July broadcasting multiple channels of audio and video programming to mobile devices from a jointly owned communications satellite. Mobile Broadcasting was set up in 1998 by Toshiba Corp, Toyota Motor Corp and other firms including SK Telecom to operate a business using the 2.6GHz S-band to broadcast content to cellular phones, car audio systems and portable televisions.
(NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 2/2/2004
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Japan, China to Launch Joint Research on 4G Mobile Phone
Monday, February 2, 2004 |
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Summary
The government-affiliated Communications Research Laboratory and private-sector companies will team up with Chinese research institutions and firms this autumn on a project to develop a technology standard for fourth-generation mobile telephony, sources familiar with the matter said. NTT Communications Corp, KDDI Corp, Hitachi, Ltd, NEC Corp and Fujitsu Ltd will be among the Japanese participants, while Chinese members of the project will include the China Academy of Telecommunications Research, the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications and local telecom carriers.
(NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 1/28/2004
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Is DoCoMos AT&T bid a bluff?
Wednesday, January 28, 2004 |
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Summary
The Japanese mobile group is giving every impression that it wants to buy the $30 billion US wireless group, in which it already has a 17 percent stake. Thats certainly the right tactic to force a good price from other bidders. But DoCoMo must be careful not to fall for its own propaganda. The Japanese group cannot afford to pay more for ATTW than Cingular Wireless, another U.S. operator that can extract more synergies as this would be a home-market deal. DoCoMo's tactics are pretty clear. It is going out of its way to present itself as a credible bidder. The group has waived its right to be consulted on the auction, thereby freeing itself up to bid. And it has retained Goldman Sachs, which advised it on its initial investment, to advise it on the ATTW auction.
(CNN Money) |
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DoCoMo keen on AT & T
Wednesday, January 28, 2004 |
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Summary
NTT DoCoMo Inc of Japan has stepped forward as the first potential buyer of AT & T Wireless Inc to formally acknowledge its interest, increasing the likelihood that Cingular Wireless may encounter a bidding war to acquire the third largest US cell phone company. The Japanese wireless company, which already owns 16% of AT & T Wireless, also disclosed in a federal filing that AT & T Wireless had apparently set a deadline of Feb 13 for any would-be acquirers to submit offers. In a statement, DoCoMo said it was temporarily waiving its rights under a prior agreement as a major AT & T Wireless investor to be advised and consulted on any proposed transaction between AT & T Wireless and another company that would alter DoCoMos ownership interest. Like Cingular and Vodafone plc of Britain, another rumoured acquirer, DoCoMo has chosen the same technological path as AT & T Wireless, a factor that makes the latter an attractive merger partner for all three of those suitors.
(The Star) |
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Vodafone talks to banks on financing-sources
Wednesday, January 28, 2004 |
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Summary
Vodafone Group Plc, the world’s top international mobile phone company, has been talking to its banks about loan financing for possible acquisitions, banking sources said on Wednesday. Vodafone is in regular contact with its banks about existing and possible new credit facilities. But bankers say recent discussions have been more focused than usual market soundings -- particularly now that AT&T Wireless, a $30 billion U.S. cellphone operator, is up for auction. Its other U.S. rivals such as Cingular, Deutsche Telekom and Nextel Communications as well as AT&T Wireless shareholder NTT DoCoMo have also all been tipped as possible bidders.
(Reuters) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 1/26/2004
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Vodafone poised to hit 130 million customers
Monday, January 26, 2004 |
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Summary
Cellphone titan Vodafone will face a barrage of questions about its U.S. strategy next Wednesday when it is expected to announce that robust subscriber growth has swollen its customer base to about 130 million. Vodafone Group Plc’s U.S. rival AT&T Wireless, which is 16 percent-owned by Japan’s NTT DoCoMo, officially put itself up for sale this week, sparking speculation that Vodafone might enter what could become a $30 billion auction.
(Reuters) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 1/12/2004
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Matsushita in China Recovers from a Slump to Fight Back
Monday, January 12, 2004 |
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Summary
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co, Ltd, which consists of 44 production companies, has been seeing its businesses in China rapidly revive since 2002. Takashi Asada, managing director at Matsushita Electric (China) Co, Ltd, the controlling company of the businesses in China, stresses that its recovery is a volume expansion combined with an earnings potential improvement by saying, "Approximately 70% of our production companies in China had losses until around 2001, but the proportion has switched over and an about 70% is generating profits now."
(NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 1/4/2004
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NTT DoCoMo to Acquire Vodafone Group PTY in $200 Billion Global Cash Deal
Sunday, January 4, 2004 |
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Summary
Japanfs mobile phone giant NTT DoCoMo has announced it will acquire Vodafone Group PLC, the worldfs largest mobile phone operator, in a cash deal said to reach $200 billion. The new entity will be called either DoCoFone or VodaMo, pending talks between the two companies. Analysts cheered the deal as the largest telecoms buyout in history, and one which enables DoCoMo to indirectly acquire its Japan rival Vodafone K.K. Yet shares in both companies tumbled as investors questioned whether the Japanese company could effectively unify Vodafonefs patchwork of branded operations in 30+ foreign markets, or correctly pronounce its trademark "How are You" campaign slogan. (Reuters) |
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NTT DoCoMo to Acquire Vodafone Group PTY in $100 Billion Global Cash Deal
Sunday, January 4, 2004 |
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Summary
Japanfs mobile phone giant NTT DoCoMo has announced it will acquire Vodafone Group PLC, the worldfs largest mobile phone operator, in a cash deal said to reach $100 billion. The new entity will be called either DoCoFone or VodaMo, pending talks between the two companies. Analysts cheered the deal as the largest telecoms buyout in history, and one which enables DoCoMo to absorb its Japan rival Vodafone K.K. Yet shares in both companies tumbled as investors questioned whether the Japanese company could effectively unify Vodafonefs patchwork of branded operations in 30+ foreign markets, or correctly pronounce its trademark "How are You" campaign slogan. (Reuters) |
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NTT DoCoMo to Acquire Vodafone Group PTY in $100 Billion Global Cash Deal
Sunday, January 4, 2004 |
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Summary
Japanfs mobile phone giant NTT DoCoMo has announced it will acquire Vodafone Group PLC, the worldfs largest mobile phone operator, in a cash deal said to reach $100 billion. The new entity will be called either DoCoFone or VodaMo, pending talks between the two companies. Analysts cheered the deal as the largest telecoms buyout in history, and one which enables DoCoMo to indirectly acquire its Japan rival Vodafone K.K. Yet shares in both companies tumbled as investors questioned whether the Japanese company could effectively unify Vodafonefs patchwork of branded operations in 30+ foreign markets, or correctly pronounce its trademark "How are You" campaign slogan.
(Reuters) |
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NTT DoCoMo to Acquire Vodafone Group PTY in $100 Billion Global Cash Deal
Sunday, January 4, 2004 |
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Summary
Japan’s mobile phone giant NTT DoCoMo has announced it will acquire Vodafone Group PLC, the world’s largest mobile phone operator, in a cash deal said to reach $100 billion. The new entity will be called either DoCoFone or VodaMo, pending talks between the two companies. Analysts cheered the deal as the largest telecoms buyout in history, and one which enables DoCoMo to indirectly acquire its Japan rival Vodafone K.K. Yet shares in both companies tumbled as investors questioned whether the Japanese company could effectively unify Vodafone’s patchwork of branded operations in 30+ foreign markets, or correctly pronounce its trademark "How are You" campaign slogan. (MMJ)
(MMJ ) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 12/17/2003
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Major European Distribution Firms Begin Tests of Wireless Tag System
Wednesday, December 17, 2003 |
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Summary
Christian C. Clauss of IBM Switzerland emphasized the importance of experiments of wireless-tag systems in a lecture in Tokyo on December 5, 2003. Clauss is Worldwide Auto-ID Leader of Wireless & Pervasive Computing for IBM, and specifically he is in charge of establishment of wireless tag (RFID tag) systems at IBM Switzerland. He gave a lecture at a symposium on advanced ways of using of radio waves that was held by the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications and the Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (ARIB). In this lecture, he explained the outline of the ongoing experiments in Europe.
(NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 12/1/2003
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Oki Launches New Sound Generator LSI for Mobile Phones in China
Monday, December 1, 2003 |
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Summary
Oki Electric Industry Co, Ltd announced that it has developed a new PCM (Pulse Code Modulation)-based sound generator LSI, the ML2864, which plays 64 polyphonies simultaneously with eight octaves. (NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 11/28/2003
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NEC to Sell Mobile Phone Content to China’s NetEase
Friday, November 28, 2003 |
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Summary
NEC Corp will provide cell phone content for NetEase.com Inc, one of China’s biggest portal sites, with about 300 images of Japanese cartoons, actors and singers to be sent starting in January. The portal site will offer the content it receives from NEC to users of China Mobile Communications Corp, the largest cell phone company in that country. Images of manga and anime characters as well as pop stars will be offered first, with users able to choose a graphic on NetEase and have it automatically sent to their cell phones. Starting in spring, games and videos are slated to be made available as well. NetEase is said to have 140 million members. NEC aims to see sales exceed 1 billion yen in its mobile phone content operations in China in 2005.
(NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 11/26/2003
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Konami Brings It Wireless
Wednesday, November 26, 2003 |
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Summary
Simon Belmont going to exorcize the demons from your cellphone. Konami, the vid house behind such blockbuster properties as Castlevania and Metal Gear Solid announced today that is will soon begin offering games on AT&Ts mMode service, beginning with a slick little version of Frogger. Versions of Gradius and Castlevania are expected next. Konami has already enjoyed brisk business in the wireless space in Japan, where it has released roughly 200 games for cellphone play. (IGN) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 11/24/2003
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China, Japan to jointly test 4G phone
Monday, November 24, 2003 |
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Summary
Japan and China are planning to conduct a joint experiment on a new generation Internet-capable mobile phone for high-speed data communications between the two countries, Kyodo news service reported Sunday, citing Japanese telecom ministry officials. The three-year project aimed at promoting better Asian information technology systems will begin in December and use the Internet Protocol Version 6, or IPv6, Kyodo also quoted the officials as saying. Under the program, the two countries will experiment on sending and receiving Internet data via the mobile phone at speeds of up to 100 megabits per second, much faster than the third-generation phones with speeds of up to 2.4 megabits per second, Kyodo said. (People’s Daily) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 11/20/2003
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Chinese Mobile Phone Service Operators to Move Fast to Build 3G Networks, Says Panasonic Mobile Comm
Thursday, November 20, 2003 |
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Summary
"Third-generation mobile phone services in China will not experience the same sluggish start they have had in Japan," Yasuo Katsura, Panasonic Mobile Communications Co, Ltd’s president said. "That’s because major fixed-line carriers that have never offered 2G services, such as China Telecommunications Corp (China Telecom) and China Netcom Corp, will be chasing hard on the heels of mobile service operators like China Mobile Communications Corp (China Mobile) and China United Telecommunications Corp (China Unicom) in a rush to set up 3G wireless networks," he added.
(NEAsia Online) |
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Sanyo, Hitachi Showcase Wireless Base Stations for PHS
Thursday, November 20, 2003 |
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Summary
The personal handyphone system (PHS) has been attracting approximately one million new subscribers a month in China, although it is not keeping up with regular mobile phones, which attract as many as 5 million subscribers a month. Because the PHS call charges are about a sixth of what the GSM method offers, PHS has been attracting support from users in local cities.
(NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 11/18/2003
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NEC 515 HDM High Definition Mobile Gaming Handset to be sold through AT&T Wireless
Tuesday, November 18, 2003 |
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Summary
NEC Corporation today announced, through its subsidiary NEC America, Inc., a leading provider of innovative communications products, solutions and services, the launch of its 515 High Definition Mobile+ handset to be sold through AT&T Wireless retail outlets. This exclusive relationship offers the benefit of AT&T Wireless’ powerful network combined with NEC’s global experience in handset development and manufacturing. Available to U.S. consumers on July 28, the 515 HDM will serve as a premiere gaming handset delivering both enhanced game play capabilities and multimedia messaging. (MobileMag) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 11/13/2003
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Malaysia's Maxis Launches Customized Sharp Phone
Thursday, November 13, 2003 |
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Summary
Malaysian mobile phone carrier Maxis Communications Bhd. Thursday unveiled a new customized phone together with Sharp Corp. of Japan. The phone is a Maxis-powered Sharp GX27 which comes with a built-in Maxis menu and portal link and includes camera, video, and game capacity. "We call this the GX27 Sharp Shooter as this phone has the brightest, clearest display in its class, and a great camera to go with it," Maxis Head of Mobile Data Business Steve Martineau said at a press briefing.
(Dow Jones) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 10/29/2003
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Renesas of Japan and MCR of China Join for Next-Generation Mobile Phone Technology
Wednesday, October 29, 2003 |
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Summary
Renesas Technology Corp announced that it is cooperating with Mobile Communication Research (MCR) to jointly next-generation (3G/4G) mobile phones using Renesas SH-Mobile CPU core. According to both companies, they will develop three items: (1) standard specification proposal of 3G/4G application for Chinese mobile phones, (2) scaleable hardware and software platform and reference design for 3G/4G Smartphone, and (3) demonstration tools and software development tools for Smartphones. Renesas has the following two roles: (1) distribution of SH-Mobile`s evaluation kit and software driver, and (2) technical support for next-generation mobile phone development by Renesas' engineers. MCR has the next two roles: (1) hardware design and software design, and (2) porting applications such as voice recognition and fingerprint recognition. (NE Asia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 10/28/2003
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Cell-Phone Makers Target Larger Slice of Chinese Market
Tuesday, October 28, 2003 |
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Summary
Japanese cellular phone companies are accelerating efforts to improve their presence in China. Japanese makers’ struggle stems in part from the fact that China has adopted the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) standards used widely in Europe and the US, respectively, as its cellular phone communications standards, not the Personal Digital Cellular (PDC) standard used in Japan. However, Japanese companies’ fortunes are likely to improve once China begins rolling out the third-generation cellular phone system in 2005, since the country is expected to include the Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) standard used in both Japan and Europe as one of the communications standards for the advanced cellular phone system.
(NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 10/27/2003
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Nokia gets ready to fold
Monday, October 27, 2003 |
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Summary
Nokia, the world’s largest mobile phone maker, is set to unveil three new models next week, one of which is the company’s first fold-away design, industry and market sources said. Until now, Nokia has been reluctant to stamp an operator’s brand on its phones, but the new models feature places for a logo of a mobile telecoms operator. Consumers would also be able to access carrier-specific services with special buttons. Other phone manufacturers, such as Motorola, have no qualms about co-branding and this has added the pressure on Nokia to follow suit or risk losing business. Co-branding and special buttons have helped Japan’s Sharp become the most popular phone maker for Vodafone’s Live! service.
(Reuters) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 10/17/2003
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Vodafone, DoCoMo will not launch 3G ’until it works’
Friday, October 17, 2003 |
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Summary
Europe - In the debate over the future for 3G, we seemed in mid-2003 to have reached a consensus: 3G was rolling out at last, especially the CDMA2000 variants; it was less attractive to users and operators than had been hoped, and was moving slowly, but it would definitely become a major force within a couple more years. Now 3 has experienced further setbacks in its deployment and Vodafone says it will not launch 3G "until it works", with the implication that this may be some way off, while DoCoMo is putting a 10-year timeframe on 3G ubiquity. In the mean time, GPRS and EDGE are taking on roles that were never envisaged for them and IP-based next generation services are creeping up behind. The bets on 3G ever repaying the investment that has been made in it remain firmly off the table. (The Register) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 10/13/2003
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NEC to Expand Mobile Internet, 3G Phone into China
Monday, October 13, 2003 |
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Summary
NEC Corp unveiled its business plan on third-generation (3G) mobile phones in China. The company is to consolidate a foothold for development of its 3G business through restructuring local affiliates, reinforcing R&D personnel and establishing joint ventures with local partners. At a briefing meeting on business strategies held at a hotel in Beijing on September 29, Akinobu Kanasugi, president of NEC, expressed enthusiasm, saying, "China currently has 250 million users of mobile phones. We expect the number of users to increase to 400 or 500 million people within one or two years. We will expand our businesses of mobile Internet and 3G mobile phone services, which we boast are leading the world, into China as well."
(NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 10/8/2003
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DoCoMo Agrees to Acquisition of KG Telecom by Far EasTone
Wednesday, October 8, 2003 |
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Summary
NTT DoCoMo Inc. agreed to the acquisition of KG Telecommunications Co., in which DoCoMo holds a 21.4 percent stake, by Far EasTone Telecommunications Co. of Taiwan. When the transaction closes in March, DoCoMo will own 4.9 percent of Far EasTone and will receive NT$2.5 billion ($74 million) in cash. Far EasTone and KG Telecom are trying to catch up with Taiwan Cellular Corp. and Chunghwa Telecom Co. in a Taiwanese mobile- phone market in which subscribers outnumber people. DoCoMo also said it will cooperate with Far EasTone on W-CDMA, a so-called third generation wireless technology that moves data between devices at much higher speeds than those now available. (Bloomberg) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 10/3/2003
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Bandai S.A. and Bandai Networks begin to offer contents on KPN Mobile
Friday, October 3, 2003 |
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Summary
Bandai S.A. the European Sales agent of Bandai K.K. has begun to jointly offer Java game contents, known as Bandai Pocket, on KPN Mobilefs i-mode system. Bandai will offer three types of games: Hello Kitty Games, Gundam Games, and 1 Games. The first two types of games will sell for 2 euro a month while the 1 Games will cost 1 euro a month.
Bandai S.A. has a goal of offering this contents in 10 countries and 13 operators. (Yahoo! Japan News) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 9/23/2003
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Kyocera sees US mobile shipments doubling
Tuesday, September 23, 2003 |
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Summary
The chief executive of Japanese electronic components maker Kyocera Corp expects shipments of mobile phones for the U.S. holiday shopping season to be double those of a year ago. Yasuo Nishiguchi told Reuters in an interview he expected U.S. mobile phone shipments for September to November -- the key period before the Christmas shopping season -- to hit five million units, twice the year-earlier amount. Kyocera, the worlds largest maker of ceramic packages for semiconductors, said delays in rolling out new personal handyphone system (PHS) phones in China caused sales of finished products in July-September to be weaker than expected.
(Reuters) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 9/9/2003
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NEC Interchannel to Launch Business Providing Mobile Phone Contents in China
Tuesday, September 9, 2003 |
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Summary
NEC Interchannel Ltd will establish a new company providing contents for mobile phones in China.
The new company, Beijing Airsilk Mobile Technology Inc, will provide mobile phone contents through official Web sites by Chinese mobile phone service operators, through portal Web sites, and it also intends to offer contents to cell phone handset manufacturers, including Chinese makers.
IN china there are more than 200 million mobile phone users, and new subscribers have been increasing at the rate of 5 million a month, with users forecasted to increase up to 300 million in 2004.
The new company will ally with 10 other Japanese contents providers such as Sony Picture Digital Inc, Takara Mobile Entertainment and Television Tokyo Broadband Entertainment Inc. The contents service will be available to 15 types of handsets, including those of Chinese manufacturers.
(NE Asia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 8/21/2003
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AT&T Wireless, KDDI launch new music services
Thursday, August 21, 2003 |
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Summary
Ringtones and music have become a major part of the wireless industry, as providers from the United States to Japan launch new audio services. Indeed, AT&T Wireless Services Inc. will sell ring tones through Yamaha Ringtones, a unit of Yamaha Corp.s Digital Content Division. The downloadable polyphonic ring tones will be available through the carriers mMode wireless data service. Separately, Japanese wireless carrier KDDI will sell music ring tones and sample and programming services through a deal with ring tone company T.O.S. Co. Ltd. and Loudeye Corp. Loudeye provides music content, programming services, music samples, copyright license clearing and royalty reporting and settlement. (RCR News) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 7/25/2003
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ANALYSIS: What does AT&T Wireless get from Tokyo connection?
Friday, July 25, 2003 |
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Summary
When executives from AT&T Wireless and NTTDoCoMo hammered out their partnership in late 2000, it probably would have appeared ludicrous for one of the American participants to suggest that what flies in Japan may flounder in the U.S. In hindsight, any executive uttering such words at the time would now seem exceptionally prescient. AT&T willingly accepted both a $10 billion cash injection from NTT and a major string hanging from that sum that calls for the carrier to build W-CDMA infrastructure by the end of 2004.
(Americas Network) |
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HI Corp to Offer 3D Graphics to Motorola Mobile Phone Platform Customers
Friday, July 25, 2003 |
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Summary
HI Corp, a mobile 3D rendering technology developer in Japan, and the Semiconductor Products Sector of Motorola Inc have agreed that HI will offer its Mascot Capsule Engine to customers of Motorola’s Innovative Convergence i.250, 2.5G GSM/GPRS handset platform. The Mascot Capsule Engine is a compact software engine that enables real-time rendering of 3D graphics applications on mobile handsets. HI intends to make the Mascot Capsule Engine available to Motorola’s Innovative Convergence i.250 customers who plan to enable 3D rendering capability and incorporate 3D graphics applications into consumer devices.
(NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 7/18/2003
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Japan’s NEC to Re-Enter U.S. Mobile Phone Market
Friday, July 18, 2003 |
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Summary
Electronics conglomerate NEC Corp. said on Wednesday it would re-enter the U.S. mobile phone market this summer with the popular Internet-ready handsets that have made it Japan’s top cellphone supplier. "We’ll be supplying Internet-enabled phones from this summer, and plan to announce further details in the United States on July 22," an NEC spokeswoman said. She declined to comment on a report in the Nihon Keizai newspaper that in the first year, NEC hoped to sell around 200,000 cellphones to AT&T Wireless Services Inc, the number-three mobile carrier in the United States. Japanese mobile giant NTT DoCoMo Inc holds a 16 percent stake in AT&T Wireless.
(Reuters) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 7/17/2003
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NEC to Supply Internet-Ready Cell Phones to AT&T Wireless
Thursday, July 17, 2003 |
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Summary
NEC Corp will re-enter the US cellular phone market as early as this summer, supplying Internet-ready handsets to AT&T Wireless Services Inc, sources close to the matter said yesterday. As the No 3 cellular carrier in the US -- in which NTT DoCoMo Inc has a 16% stake -- AT&T Wireless operates an Internet access service called mMode, through which users can access Web sites and e-mail from their cell phones.
(Nikkei Asia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 7/8/2003
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Hutchisonfs 3 UK promotes new NEC handset
Tuesday, July 8, 2003 |
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Summary
Hutchison Whampoafs 3 UK on Monday started selling a third handset made by Japanfs NEC Corp as the British start-up attempts to attract more customers to its multimedia mobile service. The new handset, promoted on the companyfs website, is the first new 3 device to hit the market since it became Europefs first third-generation network operator in March. NECfs e808Y has a Qwerty keypad, but is not a flip-open model like its e808 predecessor, according to www.three.co.uk. A 3 UK spokesman said a formal announcement about the new handset would be made on Tuesday. 3 UK, which is 20 percent-owned by Japanfs NTT DoCoMo and 15 percent-owned by Dutch operator KPN, has made mobile video a cornerstone of its high bandwidth wireless service.
(Reuters) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 7/1/2003
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Fujitsu soars on Nokia cell-phone deal
Tuesday, July 1, 2003 |
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Summary
Shares of Fujitsu gained over 6 percent Monday on news that the consumer electronics firm is teaming up with European mobile giant Nokia to provide a corporate information systems service through cellular phones. The service, first reported by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, is slated to be launched in Europe this fall and will enable specially configured Nokia phones to access a company’s computer system from anywhere. Fujitsu said in a statement that mobile-dependent companies will be able to improve their business operations by taking advantage of efficiencies and reduced costs.
(CBSMarketWatch) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 6/27/2003
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Yamaha and Moviso Partner to Deliver Polyphonic Ringtones to Verizon Wireless Customers
Friday, June 27, 2003 |
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Summary
Yamaha Corp., the world’s largest manufacturer of musical instruments, Moviso LLC, the leading provider of mobile data products and services in North America, and Verizon Wireless, today announced a new polyphonic ringtone service for Verizon Wireless’ Get It NowSM subscribers. The new "Yamaha Ringtones" application is available today on select Motorola, LG, Audiovox and Kyocera handsets. The agreement with Moviso and Verizon Wireless represents the first time Yamaha has offered a high quality ringtone download service in the US.
(Pressicom) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 6/21/2003
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Japanese 3G phones get U.S. airing
Saturday, June 21, 2003 |
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Summary
Japanese mobile phone giant NTT DoCoMo showed off sophisticated Asian phones at the CeBit trade show here, part of an effort to spur interest in high-speed wireless phone service. "We want the American consumer to understand what 3G is," NTT DoCoMo spokeswoman Karen Lurker said. (CNET) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 6/19/2003
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Japan, Korea to Share Mobile Broadcasting Infrastructure
Thursday, June 19, 2003 |
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Summary
Japan and Korea plan to share a broadcast satellite that enables the viewing of television programs on a portable device, marking their first sharing of a broadcasting infrastructure. Mobile Broadcasting Corp, in which Toshiba Corp has the leading share, will launch the satellite later this year, and SK Telecom Co Ltd, which is planning to provide a similar service in Korea, has decided to use it. The two companies have reached an agreement on the deal. Initially, there was some opposition in Korea to the use of a broadcasting system developed in Japan. But this problem was resolved when the two companies explained to the Korean government agencies concerned that the system is designed in such a way as to prevent the distribution of Japanese TV programs in Korea. (NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 6/18/2003
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Japanese cellphone giants duke it out in foreign lands
Wednesday, June 18, 2003 |
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Summary
DoCoMo and J-Phone start with Europe and 2G, but America and 3G are in their sights. Mobile phone giants NTT DoCoMo Inc. and J-Phone Co. (owned by Vodafone) are engaged in an intense battle overseas, particularly in Europe, to win customers for their Internet-connected services. The Vodafone live! service has already won 1 million subscriptions overseas, and DoCoMo, armed with its i-mode service, is determined to equal J-Phone’s numbers by the end of the year. Overseas DoCoMo subscriptions to the company’s i-mode service currently number about 600,000.
(Asahi) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 6/17/2003
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Japan Handset Makers Go Global with 3G, Photo Phones
Tuesday, June 17, 2003 |
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Summary
Japan’s top cellphone makers, already powerhouses at home, are poised to become major players on the global stage, spurred on by the international appeal of camera phones and emerging third-generation services overseas. But industry giants such as Nokia are not likely to lose much sleep over the foray by Japanese makers, who are expected to focus on high-end products, rather than offer a full-range of models.
In the year to next March, NEC, Japan’s second-largest handset maker, is targeting a 400 percent increase year-on-year in overseas cellphone shipments, while Panasonic Mobile is looking to bump its shipments to 10 million from six million. (Reuters) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 6/11/2003
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DoCoMo Picks Airespace WLAN
Wednesday, June 11, 2003 |
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Summary
Airespace, Inc. announced today that DoCoMo Communication Laboratories USA, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of NTT DoCoMo USA, has chosen Airespace to supply the 802.11 network for their Silicon Valley campus. The Airespace Wireless Enterprise Platform provides DoCoMo USA Labs a rock solid network infrastructure upon which they can explore innovative applications and related technologies that enable next generation mobile networks.
(Unstrung) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 6/10/2003
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Sony plans new alliance by year-end: CEO
Tuesday, June 10, 2003 |
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Summary
Japanese consumer electronics giant Sony will strike a strong new partnership before the year-end, its chairman and chief executive officer, Nobuyuki Idei said in remarks published on Sunday. "In recent years, we have set up alliances with IBM and Toshiba, as well as with Ericsson. In future, there will be opportunities for alliances with telecommunications operators such as Vodafone and T-mobile in Europe and DoCoMo in Japan," he told the paper. "The computer and telephony businesses both have opportunities for growth. But the strongest growth will be in hybrid products such as Internet-connected television," he said. (AFP) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 5/31/2003
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Sina, Bandai to launch mobile cartoons in China
Saturday, May 31, 2003 |
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Summary
Bandai has formed a partnership with Chinese portal Sina to deliver cartoon content to mobile phone users. The service builds on Bandai’s successful launch in Japan and further expands the revenue opportunities in mobile content for Sina.
(PMN) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 5/30/2003
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Sanyo to Supply Cell Phones to Haier to Tap China Market
Friday, May 30, 2003 |
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Summary
Sanyo Electric Co Ltd will shortly start supplying cellular phones to Chinese partner Haier Group Co Ltd through an OEM agreement, The Nihon Keizai Shimbun learned Wednesday. With China’s mobile phone market growing fast, Sanyo is seeking to expand its share by taking advantage of the locally well-known Haier brand. The move will mark Sanyo’s first product supply on an OEM basis to Haier since the formation of their alliance in January 2002.
(NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 4/30/2003
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Nokia Communicator Goes Japanese with EnFour 'UniFEP'
Wednesday, April 30, 2003 |
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Summary
Nokia Japan and global communications enabler Enfour have announced the introduction on Nokia Software Market of downloadable software bv Enfour that enables Japanese the Nokia Communicator 9210i to manage input and display of Japanese kana and kanji in all of the built-in applications such as Agenda, Contacts as well as Word and Sheet. The software also allows the sending/receiving of Japanese email and web-surfing of Japanese sites over compatible GSM networks worldwide--a first for Japanese language mobile users working on GSM mobile devices. Enfour is the first Japanese developer to register a product on Nokia Software Market.
(Enfour) |
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Kyocera Wireless Corp. to Combine BREW and Color CDMA Handsets in US
Wednesday, April 30, 2003 |
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Summary
Kyocera Wireless Corp., manufacturer of the world’s first commercial BREW-enabled wireless phone, plans to offer entry-tier, affordable BREW-enabled CDMA phones with enhanced color displays that use software to emulate 16-bit, 65,000-color performance. Kyocera will offer versions of its Phantom, Blade and Rave Series phones that support BREW 2.0 to carriers who wish to extend their BREW-based content offerings to the mass-market segment of wireless customers.
(Businesswire) |
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NEC to debut WLAN phone in US
Wednesday, April 30, 2003 |
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Summary
NEC America Inc. announces broad plans for hardware and software that support voice-over-802.11-based wireless LANs. "What we’re doing is building an infrastructure, integrating it with our telephony products and delivering several end-user terminals," said Paul Weismantel, director of enterprise solutions at NEC America, in Irving, Texas. NEC’s handset plans include a basic voice-over-WLAN phone, due this summer, with more complex devices due by year’s end. These will include Session Initiation Protocol-based handsets, phones with Web browsers, voice-enabled PDAs and a software phone client for notebook computers. (Eweek) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 4/28/2003
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Taiwan Mobile Phone Shipment Doubled in Q1 2003
Monday, April 28, 2003 |
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Summary
Shipment volume of Taiwanese mobile phones grew a strong 138% in the first quarter of 2003 to reach 10.5 million units, according to the Market Intelligence Center (MIC) of Taiwan. MIC said contracts from Sony Ericsson are expected to constitute the major driver for Taiwanese mobile phone industry development in the first half of 2003. "Sony Ericsson will likely step up orders to Taiwanese manufacturers in a bid to reclaim between 7% to 10% worldwide market share. Outsourcing will allow Sony Ericsson to expand product lines in response to Nokia, Motorola, and Samsung’s full product portfolios and rapid handset rollouts."
(NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 4/24/2003
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Mitsui to Invest in China Mobile Phone LCD Maker
Thursday, April 24, 2003 |
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Summary
Mitsui & Co Ltd will invest 100 million yen in Shanghai Guangdian Liquid Crystal Display Co Ltd and acquire a 25% stake in the operation. Shanghai Guangdian Liquid Crystal Display produces color LCDs for mobile phones. Mitsui will help Shanghai Guangdian Liquid Crystal Display sell products to Japanese mobile phone manufacturers operating in China. Mitsui formed a partnership in December 2002 with China’s fourth-largest manufacturer of electronics, SVA (Group) Co Ltd. Mitsui’s investment in Shanghai Guangdian Liquid Crystal Display, which is an SVA (Group) firm, is part of that alliance with SVA (Group). Mitsui is to make its investment as early as this month, pending approval by the Chinese government.
(NEAsia Online) |
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NEC Completes 1st Stage Of UK 3G Network
Thursday, April 24, 2003 |
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Summary
NEC and Siemens Information and Communication Mobile (Siemens mobile) have completed the first phase of Europe's first commercial 3G radio network for Hutchison 3G UK, trading as 3. The 3G infrastructure partners have helped ensure that 3 UK is the first company to bring next generation wireless communications to UK mobile users.
(3G.co.uk) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 4/7/2003
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Yamaha Expands Ringtone Distribution Service Expands to China
Monday, April 7, 2003 |
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Summary
Yamaha Corp announced that it will expand its Ringtone@YAMAHA ringing melody distribution service in China to customers using CDMA mobile phones of China United Telecommunications Corp (China Unicom). The service to distribute harmonic 16- and 40-tone ringing melodies nationwide began on July 1, 2003 for China Unicom CDMA mobile phone subscribers. Yamaha launched its ringtone distribution service in Guangdong Province from January 2003 through Guangdong Mobile Communications Corp, a regional subsidiary of China Mobile Communications Corp.
(NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 3/31/2003
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NEC to Boost Overseas Cell Phone Shipments 5 Fold
Monday, March 31, 2003 |
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Summary
NEC Corp aims to quintuple its overseas shipments of cellular phone handsets next fiscal year to 5 million units compared with 1 million this term, President Akinobu Kanasugi said on March 28. Kanasugi also said that NEC plans to double its operating profit to 200 billion yen next fiscal year from this fiscal year’s estimate.
(NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 3/10/2003
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Consumer mobile data to rake in $124b
Monday, March 10, 2003 |
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Summary
Ovum, the analyst and consulting company, expects the mobile consumer data traffic to reach US$71 billion ($124 billion) in 2007 and it believes that operators must put their mobile consumer application strategy in place now to capture a share of the market. Ovum’s research shows that Western European markets take the lion’s share of total consumer data revenues worldwide with around 46 per cent in 2003. In second place, Asia Pacific accounts for 32 per cent of the global revenues including more than half generated by the Japanese and Korean markets where wireless data is already established and continues to enjoy accelerated growth. By 2007 the distribution will become more even, with Europe’s share diminishing to 31 per cent, Asia Pacific’s to 25 per cent and North America and China/India taking 18 per cent and 13 per cent respectively.
(Computerworld) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 3/3/2003
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Asian wireless market added 104 million new subscribers in 2002
Monday, March 3, 2003 |
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Summary
According to new findings from the Global Mobile Subscriber Database, the Asia-Pacific region added almost 104 million mobile subscribers last year. At the end of last year, the region claimed 433 million wireless users compared with 329 million at the end of 2001, representing a 31.5 percent growth in subscribers for the year. Also, according to CSFB the Indonesian wireless market was Asia-Pacific's second-largest market in the fourth quarter of last year, adding 2.14 million new subscribers. (Baskerville) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 1/12/2003
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Oki Launches New Sound Generator LSI for Mobile Phones in China
Sunday, January 12, 2003 |
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Summary
Oki Electric Industry Co, Ltd announced that it has developed a new PCM (Pulse Code Modulation)-based sound generator LSI, the ML2864, which plays 64 polyphonies simultaneously with eight octaves. (NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 1/10/2003
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Bandai and Sprint Announce Availability Of New Wireless Games
Friday, January 10, 2003 |
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Summary
Bandai America Incorporated, a subsidiary of the third largest toy company in the world, and Sprint today introduce a new line of wireless games to the PCS Vision suite of services. The new line-up of wireless games includes several that are based on popular Bandai toys, such as the Mobile Suit Gundam(TM) series. Games available at launch include Gundam Space Assault(TM), Snowboarding and Hare Hockey(TM), which have gained significant popularity in Japan through development of Bandai Networks Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Bandai.
(Silicon Vallley Biz Ink) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 1/9/2003
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Bandai and Sprint Announce New Wireless Games
Thursday, January 9, 2003 |
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Summary
Bandai America Incorporated, a subsidiary of the third largest toy company in the world, and Sprint today introduce a new line of wireless games to the PCS Vision suite of services. The new line-up of wireless games includes several that are based on popular Bandai toys, such as the Mobile Suit Gundam(TM) series. Games available at launch include Gundam Space Assault(TM), Snowboarding and Hare Hockey(TM), which have gained significant popularity in Japan through development of Bandai Networks Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Bandai. (Silicon Vallley Biz Ink) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 12/25/2002
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Cell phone makers take aim at China
Wednesday, December 25, 2002 |
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Summary
China is the biggest market for the world’s cell phone makers with the number of such devices expected to total about 200 million. NEC Corp and Matsushita Communication Industries Co have established new companies in Shanghai to popularize the basic technology of 3G cell phones. Other companies, including Sony Corp, Sanyo Electric Co and Kyocera Corp, have established joint ventures to produce terminals and started introducing new products into the market. An official at NTT DoCoMo in Beijing said it is "difficult to predict the trend of mobile phones a year from now" but each Japanese company in China is making moves to develop China’s giant untapped cell phone market. (Kyodo News) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 12/19/2002
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Global Hit Products from Japan: China’s Case
Thursday, December 19, 2002 |
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Summary
The income gap between rich and poor people is enormous in China. But its huge population means that there is a sizeable and significant market in targeting the top-level income bracket rather than a broad range of Chinese people. In fact, some high-end products have launched in China ahead of Japan, and have proved to be hot sellers. This week, Nikkei Business presents a case study involving Matsushita Communication Industrial Co., Ltd., which is now creating a market in China for camera-equipped mobile phones.
(NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 12/5/2002
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Hitachi to Conduct Mobile Content Delivery Trial in China
Thursday, December 5, 2002 |
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Summary
Hitachi Ltd. announced it would participate in a trial service for delivering content to mobile phones in China. The Chinese telecom carrier, China NetCom Corp. (CNC), launched the trial service on Dec. 1. It will operate until March 31, 2003 in four Chinese cities -- Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. Already, CNC offers a network connection service using wireless LAN technology. A total of 200 subscribers to the wireless LAN service will be selected to test the trial content delivery service. (NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 11/28/2002
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Hitachi shrinks its flash memory card
Thursday, November 28, 2002 |
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Summary
As demand for smaller devices gets bigger and bigger, Hitachi is latching onto the trend with its new removable mini-flash memory card. The new cards measure 0.9 inches by 0.7 inches by 0.06 inches--about half the size of multimedia memory cards used in many consumer products. Hitachi is already selling the cards in Japan and is expected to announce the cards in the United States on Dec. 4. (CNET) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 11/27/2002
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Digital Bridges launches first i-Mode game
Wednesday, November 27, 2002 |
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Summary
Mobile entertainment specialist Digital Bridges has announced its first i-Mode game, delivering a version of Star Trek First Duty for E-Plus in Germany. Digital Bridges already provides WAP version of its Star Trek games to other operators in Europe and the US. (PMN) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 11/26/2002
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SK Telecom’s Color Rings Enables Further Mobile Phone Person
Tuesday, November 26, 2002 |
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Summary
More than one-half million Korean mobile phone subscribers signed up in the first month for a new service that lets them choose what people will hear when they call their phone. SK Telecom is offering the service using an enhanced services platform from NMS Communications. Subscribers have already topped 3.1 million, creating a substantial new high margin service revenue source for SK Telecom. Subscribers pay a monthly fee for a limited selection of rings, and additional fees to select from thousands of ring sounds and melodies such as popular songs, classical music, and pre-recorded messages like "Happy birthday to you" on SK Telecom’s network. They can choose tones for individual contacts - one tone for their spouse to hear, another for their boss, etc - or for different times of the day. (NEAsia Online) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 11/12/2002
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Toshiba goes Dutch with i-mode phone
Tuesday, November 12, 2002 |
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Summary
Toshiba has launched its first handset into Europe, but you have to be Dutch, or at least live in the Netherlands, oh, and be a KPN Mobile subscriber to get your mitts on one. KPN also has subs in Germany and Belgium so we can expect TS21i handsets to tip up in these countries too. Called the TS21i, the Toshiba-branded handset costs nothing for a two year contract, and 49 Euros for one year. i-mode data services are free for the first three months, and prices thereafter start at 10Mb/month. (The Register) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 10/28/2002
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Hutchison 3G plans to open 3 UK stores in Nov
Monday, October 28, 2002 |
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Summary
Hutchison 3G, the mobile telecom group controlled by Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa, plans to open three flagship stores in Britain next month for the first viewing of new-generation phones. Hutchison 3G, a Whampoa joint venture with Japans NTT DoCoMo and Dutch firm KPN Telecom, is putting the final touches to two high-tech shops in London and one in Birmingham, where customers will be able to test and buy some of Europes first high-speed data phones. Hutchison 3G has been making trials of an initial batch of around 1,000 third-generation (3G) phones, which are manufactured by Japans NEC Corp and Motorola Inc MOT.N of the United States and has said the response of its so-called friendly customers had been "fairly positive" so far. (Reuters) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 10/25/2002
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Vodafone brings picture messaging to market
Friday, October 25, 2002 |
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Summary
Vodafone Group Plc joined its European rivals on the picture messaging bandwagon on Thursday, with the launch of its live! consumer service in eight countries and its Mobile Office service for business users. The new live! phones, made by Sharp and Matsushita and retailing at 199 pounds ($308) each, will contain a range of new services including photo-messaging, Internet access, maps and video games. Vodafone Chief Executive Chris Gent has identified photo-messaging in particular as a "killer application" that should drive revenue growth over the next few years. "Customers are not interested in buying the underlying technology of mobile services. They want applications, services and content that are affordable and easy to use," Gent said. (Reuters) |
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Namco, Taito To Distribute Games Via Vodafone
Friday, October 25, 2002 |
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Summary
Three Japanese video game companies will distribute titles to mobile phone users outside Japan jointly with Vodafone Group Plc of the U.K., sources close to the matter said Thursday, The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reports in its Friday morning edition. Namco Co., Taito Co. and G-mode Co. are expected to expand the service eventually to 28 countries, keeping pace with the growth of the Internet access service of the world’s top mobile phone company. The phone company will begin on Thursday its Vodafone Live Net access service for 2.5-generation cellular phones based on the General Pocket Radio Service, or GPRS system. The Japanese suppliers will start distributing games at the same time. (Nikkei) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 10/17/2002
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Brussels Sprouts I-Mode
Thursday, October 17, 2002 |
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Summary
How many of you have seen the movie If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium, the 1969 "adventure comedy" that offers viewers a glimpse of the sartorial splendors of 1969? Unstrung was reminded of this celluloid gem today (Tuesday!) when Belgian operator BASE announced the immediate availability of i-mode services throughout the country for $5.88 a month. I-mode services are accessed via GPRS connections. (Unstrung) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 10/11/2002
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THE SKEPTIC: Japan Loses Allure For Europes Mobile Cos
Friday, October 11, 2002 |
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Summary
Remember those magazine covers featuring Japanese teenagers fiddling with cellphones? Remember how Europes mobile operators were supposed to turn to Japan for ideas on how to raise revenues? Think again. Right or wrong, Europes mobile operators have changed their view of Japans markets. Nowadays, its the pessimists, not the optimists, who use data from Japan to bolster their arguments. (Dow Jones) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 10/8/2002
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DoCoMo ’Well Prepared’ To Start I-mode Svc In France
Tuesday, October 8, 2002 |
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Summary
NTT DoCoMo Inc. and its French partner are well-prepared for the launch of its "i-mode" Internet accessible mobile phone service in France, the company said. However, it stopped short of confirming a news report that it will begin the service in November. Kyodo News reported Monday that French firm, Bouygues Telecom S.A., which had licensed NTT DoCoMo’s i-mode technology, will kick off the service in mid-November. In Belgium, the service, operated by a unit of Dutch company KPN Mobile N.V.(N.KPM), will start in late October, Kyodo reported. (Dow Jones) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 10/1/2002
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When Will the Telecom Depression End?
Tuesday, October 1, 2002 |
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Summary
The telecom crisis is reminiscent of a classic scene in The African Queen. Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, desperate and lost on the Ulonga-Bora River, rip pieces of wood off the little steamer and use them to fuel the vessel’s engine. Today’s telecom companies, struggling to survive one of the greatest busts in business history, are slashing prices below cost and selling precious assets. "Neither one is a long-term survival strategy," says Stephan Beckert, research director at TeleGeography Inc., a Washington consultant. More than a cyclical downturn, what they’re experiencing is a full-blown industrial depression. "This is an unprecedented period," says Lucent Chief Executive Pat Russo. (Business Week) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 9/26/2002
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Wooing U.S. Cell Users With Color
Thursday, September 26, 2002 |
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Summary
Hitachi, which makes cell phones for Japan’s second-largest cell-phone service provider KDDI, introduced its first mobile phone in the United States. The phone, which resembles the Web-enabled i-mode phones released in Japan two years ago by NTT DoCoMo, could persuade Americans -- typically slower to adopt new mobile technologies than consumers in Asia and Europe -- that do-everything phones are the way to go. The Hitachi P300, on sale at Sprint PCS stores for $300, weighs a mere 3.6 ounces, but has a relatively large color screen that accommodates downloaded photographs and screen savers. The phone offers Web access, POP3 e-mail access, an address book, a global positioning system (GPS) chip for location-based services, a personal organizer, built-in speakerphone and polyphonic ring tones. (Wired News) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 9/12/2002
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Mobile Phone Contents to Go Global, Says Kneosoft CEO
Thursday, September 12, 2002 |
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Summary
Kneosoft Co., Ltd. of Korea has been developing and offering a variety of control software to be used in printers, digital cameras, and other information tools, mainly in Korea and Japan. From August 2002, the company began to offer a localized Japanese version of "Troxy 2002," a server software product that automatically converts contents for mobile phones, depending on the terminal type or service category. Nikkei Communications interviewed Charlie Ahn, CEO of Kneosoft Co., Ltd., to ask about selling points of Troxy 2002 and differences in the market between Korea and Japan. (AsiaBizTech) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 9/5/2002
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Q. Which is the biggest mobile phone operator in the world?
Thursday, September 5, 2002 |
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Summary
Vodafone has been toppled as the world’s largest mobile carrier, measured purely in terms of individual users. The latest figures from telecoms market research specialist EMC put China Mobile’s total subscriber base at 123 million. Vodafone’s combined international customer figures weigh in at just over the 100 million mark by the end of June this year. The figures themselves mean little - for one thing, Vodafone also has a presence in what will easily be the world’s largest single mobile market - but may affect company marketing itself as the ’World’s Largest Mobile Community’. Also in the top five, in third place, is T-Mobile, followed by China Unicom, which has 30 per cent market share in China, and NTT DoCoMo, which holds stakes in operators in Western Europe as well as its home network in Japan. (Silicon.com) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 9/4/2002
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Japan-style mobile phones services catching on in Europe
Wednesday, September 4, 2002 |
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Summary
Mobile phones that enable users to hook up to the internet and surf the web, send e-mails and photo messages are already all the rage in Japan, and analysts now predict they are about to take Europe by storm too. "They seem to have caught on in Europe, based on the early indicators," Karri Rinta, a telecom analyst with Evli Bank in Helsinki, told AFP. Germany’s T-Mobile, one of the pioneers of these services in Europe, recently released its first user statistics which showed that each subscriber sent an average of 25 photo messages per month from his mobile phone. "It’s very hard to see that it won’t be a success, and by the end of 2004 the number of registered MMS users in Europe should pass the 100 million mark," said Erkki Vesola of Conventum Securities. (AFP) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 8/25/2002
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China Unicom to put Access i-mode Browser on 3G cdma2000 1x
Sunday, August 25, 2002 |
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Summary
Access of Japan will support no. 2 Chinese mobile operator China Unicom (50 million subscribers) to implement its suite of software products in handsets used for mobile Internet services. Access will provide the "NetFront" browser software for viewing contents on the Internet, as well as e-mail software based on the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP). The software products will be shipped to several makers in charge of producing and delivering cellular phones to China Unicom. The software will deployed on phones conforming to "cdma2000 1x" developed by U.S.-based Qualcomm Inc. (Nikkei New Media)
Editor's Comment: This is a significant coup for Access, the long-established Japanese non-PC device software company that became globally known when its compact browser was used on i-mode phones on DoCoMo's PDC network, and which has since made inroads into international mobile markets. In Europe, Access has provided browsers for NEC and Toshiba handsets used by European i-mode services on GPRS networks. This China Unicom deal confirms Access' expansion both beyond Japan and i-mode, although it has already been providing its email software on cdma2000 handsets for KDDI in Japan. More broadly, it shows a Japanese mobile developer breaking into the China handset market, regarded as a promised land for huge growth in coming years. |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 8/12/2002
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Third-Generation Mobile Phones to Be Launched in China
Monday, August 12, 2002 |
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Summary
From "how to make" to "how to market" -- Japanese electronics producers are substantially changing their strategies for the Chinese market. With the slow economic recovery, no industrial country shows signs of rapid market growth for electronics products. Thus, it has become crucial for Japanese electronics makers to expand their markets in China, which has the world’s largest population of 1.3 billion people. (AsiaBizTech) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 7/25/2002
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Japan’s hit Net-linking cell phone service going to Spain
Thursday, July 25, 2002 |
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Summary
NTT DoCoMo’s "I-mode" service mobile DoCoMo will be landing in Spain the first half of next year. NTT DoCoMo signed an agreement with Telefonica Moviles SA and Telefonica Moviles Espana SA to provide patents and technologies to offer the service, which is already offered in Taiwan, the Netherlands and Germany in addition to Japan. Telefonica Moviles Espana, which holds the largest share of the Spanish mobile market with more than 17.6 million customers, will offer the service under the name "e-mocion." (Associate Press) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 7/18/2002
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Mitsubishi’s Encryption Technology Adopted As GSM Standard
Thursday, July 18, 2002 |
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Summary
Mitsubishi Electric Corp. said its MISTY-based "KASUMI" algorithm was adopted by the GSM Association as the standard encryption technology for GSM mobile phones. Mitsubishi will optimize KASUMI’s encode circuit for GSM mobile phone use and offer it as cipher library of IP core. KASUMI is an encryption technology that is customized for mobile phones based on the MISTY algorithm created by Mitsubishi. (AsiaBizTech) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 7/16/2002
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DoCoMos Hush-Hush Talks
Tuesday, July 16, 2002 |
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Summary
NTT DoCoMo Inc. has confirmed that it has had "meetings" with both South Korea KT Freetel Co. and SingTel about potential alliances. Not surprisingly, however, the Japanese company is keeping the details under its hat. Various reports mention the potential purchase of a stake in Freetel, or some sort of technology cooperation. (Unstrung) |
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DoCoMo mulls tie-up with SingTel, KTF
Tuesday, July 16, 2002 |
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Summary
NTT DoCoMo said it is in talks with KTF of South Korea, and with Singapore Telecommunications as potential partners in Asia. NTT DoCoMo has been seeking another Asian partner through which it can promote its popular i-mode and third-generation (3G) W-CDMA services. (Global Wireless News) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 6/27/2002
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NEC to launch "N melody town" content on i-mode in Taiwan
Thursday, June 27, 2002 |
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Summary
NEC Taiwan announced it is going to provide i-mode contents for Taiwan’s mobile operator KG Telecommunications Co, Ltd. (KG Telecom)’s i-mode services which scheduled to start from 2002. From the very start of the service, NEC will provide 3 i-mode contents: "N melody town", "THE DOG CLUB", and "Zoomancy." In the beginning of the service, NEC will be the sole supplier to deliver i-mode capable handsets, N530i. (3G.co.uk) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 6/21/2002
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Japanese Mobile Application Firm Faith Expands to US Verizon
Friday, June 21, 2002 |
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Summary
Verizon Wireless of the United States has started offering downloadable applications for cellular phone handsets. Through the new service, users can download applications such as polyphonic ring tones provided by Moviso LLC and Faith West Inc., a subsidiary of Japan’s Faith Inc., EA SPORTS Tiger Woods PGA TOUR and JAMDAT Bowling both provided by JAMDAT Mobile, and Magic 8 Ball provided by Mattel. (AsiaBizTech) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 6/19/2002
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Japanese Mobile Application Firm Faith Expands to US Verizon
Wednesday, June 19, 2002 |
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Summary
Verizon Wireless of the United States has started offering downloadable applications for cellular phone handsets. Through the new service, users can download applications such as polyphonic ring tones provided by Moviso LLC and Faith West Inc., a subsidiary of Japan’s Faith Inc., EA SPORTS Tiger Woods PGA TOUR and JAMDAT Bowling both provided by JAMDAT Mobile, and Magic 8 Ball provided by Mattel. (AsiaBizTech) |
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Toshiba Bluetooth SD Card expands abroad
Wednesday, June 19, 2002 |
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Summary
While Bluetooth expansion has been available for various devices in various shapes and sizes for a while, none has ever offered it in a package as small as Toshiba’s Bluetooth SD Card, which has been available to consumers in Japan since February - except Palm’s Bluetooth SD Card that is, which is merely a rebranded version of Toshiba’s product. (infoSync) |
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DoCoMo Hopes To Repeat I-Mode Success In Taiwan
Wednesday, June 19, 2002 |
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Summary
Japanese mobile phone giant NTT DoCoMo hopes to repeat the domestic success of its popular "i-mode" service in Taiwan when it launches there Thursday. "I think 20,000 users in Taiwan in the first two months is reasonable" said Takeshi Natsuno, managing director of i-mode strategy. Natsuno believes Taiwan is going to be a bigger market than Germany because content is going to be more readily available, especially with existing Japanese content providers eager to offer content for the Taiwan market. (Dow Jones) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 6/18/2002
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Euro I-Mode: So Far, So Good
Tuesday, June 18, 2002 |
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Summary
KPN Mobile appears to have got off to a cracking start with its European version of the i-mode service from Japan NTT DoCoMo Inc. Its German operator, E-Plus Mobilfunk GmbH, has more than 40,000 users and has been signing on new customers at a rate of about 16,000 a month since the always-on data service went live on March 16. KPN Mobile launched i-mode on its home turf in the Netherlands on April 18 and has just over 10,000 customers already. Its sign-on rate is about 7,000 a month. (Unstrung) |
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Hutchison Set to Delay UK 3G Start
Tuesday, June 18, 2002 |
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Summary
UK mobile operator Hutchison 3G is set to postpone the start of its new 3G services until the end of this year. The company, which splashed out US$6.9 billion on its UMTS license in April 2000, had hoped to launch in early autumn, this now looks certain to be delayed. The main reason for putting back the launch is said to be the lack of available dual-mode handsets. Its 20% shareholder NTT DoCoMo launched its own 3G service in Japan in October 2001. (BWCS) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 6/17/2002
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i-mode Europe shows steady growth
Monday, June 17, 2002 |
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Summary
German wireless operator E-Plus Mobilfunk has won nearly 38,000 customers for i-mode, its wireless Internet service launched in March. One in every four i-mode customers comes from a rival German operator and the company has also attracted more than 100 content service providers. E-Plus hopes to increase average revenue per customer, presently hovering around 22 per month for standard GSM services, by 20% through i-mode. (CW360) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 6/5/2002
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Is Qualcomm’s BREW flat?
Wednesday, June 5, 2002 |
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Summary
Sun Microsystems is claiming victory over what was supposed to be a serious challenge from Qualcomm to dominate the market for cell phone software. But BREW hasn’t won many converts compared with the slimmed-down version of Java. Korean carrier KT Freetel is the only carrier with BREW in its phones and wireless network, although Verizon Wireless intends to launch a service in the United States in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, there are 20 million Java-capable handsets in circulation, and many carriers have committed to using the technology, including NTT DoCoMo in Japan and Sprint PCS. (CNET) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 5/22/2002
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Will Americans go for mLife?
Wednesday, May 22, 2002 |
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Summary
AT&T is pushing Japanese-style wireless services in the U.S. But until cellphones are as fun to use in New York as they are in Tokyo, a jaded market is likely to keep yawning. "I still have Japan-envy," admits Matthew Hart. It’s not that Hart doesn’t cherish his new cellphone, or appreciate having a real "mLife" before most Americans. It’s just that "the 3G videophones they have over there, the ones that open up with the big color screens ..." He trails off wistfully. "We’re getting closer, but we’re still nowhere near Japan." (salon.com) |
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INTERNATIONAL News of 5/13/2002
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i-mode services a hit with Europeans
Monday, May 13, 2002 |
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Summary
i-mode’s European efforts appear to be succeeding in making money from data services. i-mode Europe appears to be raking in 80 percent of its revenues from data income, according to a source close to the company. A typical mobile phone network operator currently sees about 5 percent of its revenues from data services such as text messaging, with the remainder coming from voice calls. The European version of i-mode is offered in Holland through KPN Mobile, and in Germany through E-Plus, which is majority owned by KPN. After an official launch in March at the CeBIT trade show, it has been available since April. (ZDNet) |
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Japanese mobile industry ponders Galapagos Effect |
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Summary (gilesrichter.com) Japan has a super-powerful mobile ecosystem worth billions, brimming with futuristic technologies, business models, and experiences that the world wants to emulate. But is it a model or an anomaly? And does it only exist because it was incubated in isolat... |
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Surprise? 10 years in, ComScore Discovers m-Commerce in Japan |
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Summary (New Media Age) That's right. After ten years of leading the world in mobile commerce, Japan has leapt ahead to take the lead again, and it has snagged the attention of the foreign media. This surprising non-news was broken by ComScore at the Mobile World Congress an... |
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Japan slices books into e-reader-sized bytes |
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Summary (News on Japan) Would you pay $1 a copy to have all the books in your house cut up and scanned to PDF? That's what is happening in Japan, where cramped living conditions and the arrival of the iPad in May have spawned as many as 60 companies offering to turn paper bo... |
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