Telefonica goes i-mode.
We were part in an i-mode trial with them in June last year and have been=20
in discussions with them in this subject since then, but were actually a=20
bit surprised by this.
::G
24/07/2002
TELEF=D3NICA M=D3VILES ESPA=D1A AND NTT DOCOMO AGREE ON THE LAUNCH OF I-MODE=
IN=20
SPAIN
Madrid/Tokyo, July 24, 2002 - NTT DoCoMo, Inc., Telef=F3nica M=F3viles S.A.=
and=20
Telef=F3nica M=F3viles Espa=F1a announced today an agreement under which=
i-mode=AE,=20
the world's most popular mobile internet service, will be launched in Spain=
=20
in the first half of 2003.
The three parties signed a license agreement under which DoCoMo will=20
provide patents, know-how and technologies needed for Telef=F3nica M=F3viles=
=20
Espa=F1a to offer the i-mode service on its Global Packet Radio Service=20
(GPRS) network in Spain. Telef=F3nica M=F3viles Espa=F1a holds the largest=
share=20
of the Spanish market in mobile telecoms. The pact will remain valid for=20
five years from July 24, 2002.
Telef=F3nica M=F3viles Espa=F1a plans to introduce i-mode service in the=
first=20
half of 2003 under its conventional mobile internet service brand name=20
'e-moci=F3n '.
The conventional e-moci=F3n service currently has 1.5 million active clients=
=20
among more than four (4) million registered users, and 250 different=20
content providers. i-mode based e-moci=F3n subscribers will have fast and=20
easy access to e-mail and a variety of other online services and content=20
via mobile phone, as i-mode users do in Japan. Using the dual-browser=20
handset, i-mode based e-moci=F3n users will be able to receive content=20
written in either i-mode-compatible HTML or WML1.X markup languages.
Separately from the i-mode licensing pact, DoCoMo and Telef=F3nica M=F3viles=
=20
S.A. today also formally agreed to form a business and technology alliance=
=20
in overall mobile communications. The two companies will share GPRS/SIM=20
card technologies and know-how, as well as opinions on handset evolution=20
towards 3G(W-CDMA), mainly through personnel exchanges. They also will=20
jointly study such possibilities as implementing international roaming=20
services.
Luis Lada, Telef=F3nica M=F3viles' chairman and CEO said "the agreement with
NTT DoCoMo will enable the company to increase even further its leadership=
=20
in the area of innovation in Spain as it will be possible to offer=20
customers the fullest potential in the multimedia mobile services that=20
i-mode technology represents. In this way, Telef=F3nica M=F3viles will=
further=20
the possibilities of e-moci=F3n in Spain, a mobile internet service access=
=20
platform that already has four million registered users and a wide range of=
=20
services and content."
"We are very excited that i-mode service will expand into another European=
=20
market. We know that Telefonica Moviles Espa=F1a, as Spain's No. 1 operator,=
=20
has the capacity to deploy the service successfully in that country. We are=
=20
looking forward to seeing an expanding i-mode community sharing the=20
benefits of i-mode service," said Keiji Tachikawa, president and CEO of NTT=
=20
DoCoMo, Inc.
In Europe, DoCoMo has licensed i-mode technology to KPN Mobile N.V., E-Plus=
=20
Mobilfunk GmbH & Co.KG, and Bouygues Telecom S.A.-in the Netherlands and=20
Belgium, Germany, and France respectively. Now Spain, another major=20
European market, will join the list, increasing the worldwide growth of=20
mobile multimedia services using i-mode technology.
About NTT DoCoMo
NTT DoCoMo is the world's leading mobile communications company with more=20
than 43 million customers. The company provides a wide variety of=20
leading-edge mobile multimedia services. These include i-mode=AE, the=
world's=20
most popular mobile internet service, which provides e-mail and internet=20
access to over 33 million subscribers, and FOMA=AE, launched in 2001 as the=
=20
world's first 3G mobile service based on W-CDMA. In addition to wholly=20
owned subsidiaries in Europe and North and South America, the company is=20
expanding its global reach through strategic alliances with mobile and=20
multimedia service providers in the Asia-Pacific, Europe and North and=20
South America. NTT DoCoMo is listed on the Tokyo (9437), London (NDCM), and=
=20
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.=
=20
in Japan and other countries.
About Telef=F3nica M=F3viles S.A.
Telef=F3nica M=F3viles is the company that manages all the Telef=F3nica=
Group's=20
cellular telephone assets. It is one of the world's leading mobile=20
telephony companies, with a presence in 14 countries and a potential market=
=20
of 434 million inhabitants. The company is leader in the growing markets of=
=20
Spain and Latin America and is carrying out a strategy of selective=20
expansion in Europe and the Mediterranean Basin. Telef=F3nica M=F3viles'=
shares=20
are traded on the Spanish and New York Stock Exchanges with the ticker TEM.
In 2001 Telef=F3nica M=F3viles recorded operating revenue of euros 8.411=20
billion, representing yoy growth of 13.6% and EBITDA of euros 3.333=20
billion, a rise of 36%. Net profit advanced 51.3% to euros 893.4 million.
For more information visit www.telefonicamoviles.com
About Telef=F3nica M=F3viles Espa=F1a
Telef=F3nica M=F3viles Espa=F1a (Telef=F3nica M=F3viles Espa=F1a) is the=
leading market=20
operator in Spain with more than 17.6 million customers (with a market=20
share of over 56%) and a range of services and data applications for=20
companies which use the latest mobile technology such as GPRS. Telef=F3nica=
=20
M=F3viles Espa=F1a also has a UMTS licence.
E-moci=F3n is the access menu to mobile content for Telef=F3nica M=F3viles=
=20
customers, which now has more than four million registered users, of witch=
=20
1.5 million are active clients, and 250 different content providers.
The company's commitment to innovation is reflected in its plans to spend=20
270 million euros during 2002 and 2003 on research and development of new=20
services.
For more information visit www.movistar.com
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Received on Thu Jul 25 14:17:17 2002