Browse > Home / IT, Internet, Technology, Telecom / Google, DoCoMo to join up on i-mode mobile services

Google, DoCoMo to join up on i-mode mobile services

December 25, 2007
By Ken Worsley


This is a move that promises to be good for NTT DoCoMo, a firm which is currently Japan’s leader in market share for mobile phone services, though is seeing a large number of younger users defect for Japan’s other two service providers, Softbank and AU. According to Tuesday’s Nikkei, from this Spring, DoCoMo users will be able to use Google’s search, email, scheduling and picture storage services.

Why is this big news? Well, it seems as though DoCoMo has finally realized that it cannot control all operations in a vertical structure - to move forward in the future and protect its market share, it will have to reach out to other firms in order to offer appealing top-end services to its users.

Does this mean that DoCoMo’s vertical market strategy is on the outs? Probably not, though the firm will have to look at other ways to attract subscribers and provide services. We’ve been a bit surprised thus far that Softbank has failed to leverage its Yahoo Japan brand as part of a mobile services bundle, though this could be just the motivation they need…

Filed Under IT, Internet, Technology, Telecom 

Social Bookmarks:
del.icio.us:Google, DoCoMo to join up on i-mode mobile services digg:Google, DoCoMo to join up on i-mode mobile services newsvine:Google, DoCoMo to join up on i-mode mobile services furl:Google, DoCoMo to join up on i-mode mobile services reddit:Google, DoCoMo to join up on i-mode mobile services
Related Posts:
Softbank outpaces DoCoMo, AU for new subscribers in August
Mobile phone subscribers in Japan pass the 100 million mark; DoCoMo’s 4G speed
DoCoMo led all mobile carriers in July new subscribers
Google, YouTube to team up with Matsushita to deliver internet-enabled flat screen televisions
KDDI’s AU Outpacing DoCoMo Again: 3.8 Times More New Subscribers in April

Comments

4 Responses to “Google, DoCoMo to join up on i-mode mobile services”

  1. www.japansoc.com on December 25th, 2007 4:09 am

    Google, DoCoMo to join up on i-mode mobile services…

    Google and DoCoMo are set to join up on providing services to i-mode users from next Spring. What does this mean for DoCoMo’s business model?…

  2. Greg L. on December 26th, 2007 12:59 pm

    If DoCoMo is going to develop a phone with Android, does that mean users will be able to install/uninstall whatever they like - including VOIP applications? This would blow a rather big hole in the ‘walled garden’ me thinks.

  3. wg on December 27th, 2007 12:03 am

    I seem to remember something about an AU/Gmail hookup not so long ago…

  4. koudjabache2002 on January 31st, 2009 8:28 pm

    I want to join to google homepage

Got something to say?