IBM subsidiary Lotus Software Group and NTT DoCoMo are to jointly
develop business applications for NTT DoCoMo's 3G mobile service,
FOMA.
Since the launch of FOMA in October, NTT DoCoMo has repeatedly said
that it is targeting corporate users. Through the tie-up, the
companies hope to create a new corporate market for NTT DoCoMo's
third-generation (3G) mobile users, and market FOMA with their
products, according to a statement from NTT DoCoMo.
Although there are currently over 10,000 FOMA subscribers, NTT
DoCoMo's president and chief executive, Keiji Tachikawa, told a
Tokyo conference earlier this month, that he had full confidence
that the company's goal to have 150,000 subscribers by the end of
March next year would be met.
"We certainly feel that 150,000 is a possible number and we may
even surpass that," said Tachikawa.
NTT DoCoMo has also shown its eagerness to enter global 3G markets
by announcing that it is joining with other carriers and vendors to
develop a standard architecture for global 3G services. The company
also plans to make FOMA compatible with other 3G services, which
are expected to start next year.