NTT DoCoMo Android-based cell phone?

According to InfoWorld, Japan's biggest mobile telecom carrier gave its strongest support yet to Google's Android platform on Thursday when it said it is considering a cell phone based on the technology.

"We are starting discussions to offer handsets that will have the Android operating system," said Takeshi Natsuno, managing director of the multimedia services department at NTT DoCoMo.

The talks include getting support for I-mode, DoCoMo's hit mobile Internet service, on the Android platform. Nearly 48 million of DoCoMo's 53 million customers subscribe to I-mode, so having it on Android will be key to the Google platform's success in Japan.

Android is a Linux-based platform for cell phones that will combine open source components and include an operating system, a middleware stack, a customizable user interface, and applications.

NTT DoCoMo is one of the founding members of the Open Handset Alliance, the group developing Android. Until Thursday, it hadn't disclosed what it hoped to gain from its participation in the group, which comprises about 40 companies, including some of the biggest names in the cell phone industry.

"When I look at the prototype, the Android-based handset works really well even on some of the cheaper handset designs," said Natsuno.
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Press release Article

NTT DoCoMo and Google to Partner in Mobile Internet Services

Tokyo, January 24, 2008 - NTT DoCoMo, Inc. (Headquartered in Tokyo; President & CEO Masao Nakamura) and Google Inc. (Headquartered in California; Chairman & CEO; Eric Schmidt) today jointly announced that they formed a partnership that includes providing search services, search-related advertisement and potential applications to i-mode™ users.

The two companies will also collaborate to enhance the user-friendliness of i-mode services, by making various Google services easier to access through i-mode handsets. The default pre-loading of Google Maps™ application into upcoming DoCoMo i-mode handsets is one of the initial initiatives being discussed.

A summary of the agreement items follows.

1. Purpose of this partnership:
Google, one of the largest search engines in the world, is aiming to fulfill the mission of "organizing the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." i-mode, the pioneering mobile Internet service provided by DoCoMo, boasts nearly 48 million mobile Internet users. By connecting i-mode with various services provided by Google, the parties together intend to increase accessibility, user-friendliness and further develop the usefulness of mobile Internet services in the Japanese market.

2. Outline of this partnership:
(1) Extension of search services on i-mode
In addition to the existing i-mode menu site search service, through the partnership with Google, i-mode users will be served Google search results for mobile and PC web sites via the i-mode portal search-box. Launch of the expanded search services is scheduled in spring 2008. The new search-box will be placed on the top-page of the i-mode portal, increasing the immediate accessibility and convenience of searches on i-mode.

(2) Search-related advertisements
Simultaneously with the launch of the new search services in spring 2008, key-word based advertisements using Google's ad platform AdWords™ will also be provided on the search-result pages in conjunction with the search results.

(3) More Google services for i-mode handsets
As a first initiative beyond searches, Google Maps for Mobile is under discussion to become a standard pre-installed application on upcoming i-mode handsets to be launched in the near future. The parties are also planning to collaborate around other services and search-related functions. The parties intend to make it easier for i-mode users to use Google services such as Gmail™, YouTube™ and Picasa™ by giving users more seamless and immediate access over the mobile phone. Furthermore, in all upcoming DoCoMo full-browser capable handsets, Google will be set to appear as the default start-page on the full-browser.

(4) Other possible mobile marketing services
Google, in conjunction with DoCoMo and its subsidiaries, will also further study the possibility of new mobile marketing services directed towards i-mode users.

(5) Possible deployment of Android™ platform
DoCoMo and Google will also continue to study the possibility of bringing Android based handsets to the Japanese market. Android, a revolutionary platform for mobile phones, was announced by the Open Handset Alliance™ (OHA) last fall, in which Google was the key initiator of the Android project.

About NTT DoCoMo, Inc.

NTT DoCoMo is the world's leading mobile communications company. DoCoMo serves over 53 million customers, including 40 million people subscribing to FOMA™, launched as the world's first 3G mobile service based on W-CDMA in 2001. DoCoMo also offers a wide variety of leading-edge mobile multimedia services, including i-mode, the world's most popular mobile e-mail/Internet service, used by nearly 48 million people. With the addition of credit-card and other e-wallet functions, DoCoMo mobile phones have become highly versatile tools for daily life. NTT DoCoMo is listed on the Tokyo (9437), London (NDCM) and New York (DCM) stock exchanges. For more information, visit www.nttdocomo.com.

i-mode and FOMA are trademarks or registered trademarks of NTT DoCoMo, Inc. in Japan and other countries.
NTT DoCoMo's FOMA service is only available to subscribers in Japan.

About Google Inc.

Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit http://www.google.com.

Google and the Google logo are trademarks of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associate.

i-mode Technology

i-mode is built on a firm foundation of advanced technology. The use of packet transmissions offers continuous access, while the use of a subset of HTML makes content creation easy and provides simple conversion of existing websites.

Compatibility

i-mode websites are created with iHTML, a subset of standard HTML. Since converting existing HTML websites to i-mode format requires only minor changes to the HTML, conversion is fast and easy, and the number of i-mode sites is high and increasing rapidly.

Efficiency

NTT DoCoMo's packet-switched technology was specifically designed to provide users with "always-on" network access, eliminating the need to log on or off. In turn, i-mode − the service developed for this packet-switched technology − provides the most efficient wireless access possible as no dedicated radio channel is required. The result is lower costs for customers as they are billed according to volume of data sent and received, rather than by time spent connected.

Versatility

i-mode offers one more significant benefit: mobile voice and data service in a single convenient package. This voice/data flexibility is unprecedented: people can download information about events, restaurants, etc., and then make reservations, or place calls to numbers searched in the i-mode directory.

Open Standards

At all phases of the development of i-mode, NTT DoCoMo pursued a policy of open technology exchange and joint large system tests at our R&D center with the world's leading research organizations, mobile communications operators and equipment manufacturers. In addition, i-mode supports Java-based applications whose importance continues to increase as the move to wireless devices accelerates globally.

Overseas Specific Information

The latest information and resources for creating i-mode Java applications
DoJa Developer Network