Japan's leading mobile phone operator NTT DoCoMo Inc, trying to fight off resurgent competitors, will tie up with US search-engine giant Google Inc to upgrade its services, a report said yesterday.
DoCoMo will incorporate Google's search and e-mail features into its popular "i-mode" Internet service as part of a broader alliance that may lead to the development of new functions and handsets, the Nikkei Shimbun business daily said.
The mobile phone giant decided on the deal as its subscribers are demanding ever-more sophisticated Internet functions on their mobile phones, said the newspaper, which did not identify its sources.
Starting as early as the spring, DoCoMo users will be able to access Google search, scheduling, e-mail and photo features through the i-mode service, the Nikkei said. Company officials did not offer immediate comment.
DoCoMo, while remaining a dominant force in the domestic mobile market, has lost subscribers to rivals in the past year after a rule change allowed users to switch carriers without changing their phone numbers.
Meanwhile, Google has remained behind Yahoo Japan Corp in the Japanese search engine market.
By teaming up with DoCoMo and gaining better access to mobile users, Google seeks to bolster its services and advertising operations in the cellular segment, the Nikkei said.
NTT DoCoMo shares rose sharply on news of the report, gaining ¥6,000 (US$52.56) or 3.3 percent to ¥190,000 at the end of the morning session, outpacing the 1.79 percent rise on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's benchmark Nikkei-225 index.
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