Internet
ò Google announced that it is opening the Japanese-language version of its email service to anyone who wants to sign up. With the deal, Japan becomes the third market after Australia and New Zealand in which the US internet conglomerate has allowed open access to GMail, which it offers in more than 40 different languages. In other markets, signups are limited to those who receive email invitations from existing users or access it via mobile phones. GMail generates revenue for Google as an automated system displays advertisements linked to the details of emails sent and received. Google, however, does not disclose the number of Gmail accounts, a free service it launched in 2004.
Mobile/Wireless
ò NTT DoCoMo announced that it will launch a new mobile phone that lets customers download music and video clips about 10 times faster than existing models. The company said the countryÆs first HSDPA high-speed downlink packet, and handset made by NEC Corp, will be available, making it the first operator in the country to offer the faster wireless network. DoCoMo will first offer HSDPA connection in major cities and aims for nationwide coverage by March 2008. NTT DoCoMo joins companies such US-based Cingular Wireless and Britain's Vodafone Group, which also are rolling out HSDPA in their markets. These carriers use the globally dominant W-CDMA wireless standard.
ò KDDI Corp. announced its plan to invest some Ñ200 billion ($1.7 billion) over the next three years to upgrade its wireless network. The company said it plans to deploy a CDMA EV-DO Rev.A network in December, which is an upgrade to its existing mobile phone infrastructure that could offer calls over the internet and faster video downloads. Industry observers see the move as an attempt on the part of KDDI to get some of NTT DoCoMo's 56% market share in Japan's 93 million mobile phone subscriber market with faster networks and services such as music downloading and a search engine from Google Inc. EV-DO is based on CDMA.
Hardware
ò Microsoft confirmed the reports that it has chosen Toshiba to produce the forthcoming Zune music player, a product designed by the company to take on Apple Computer's iPod. The confirmation followed reports of a regulatory filing Toshiba made to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that mentions the device and its features. In addition to the name "Zune," the device is also referred to in Toshiba's filing by the code name "Pyxis". According to the Zune user's manual included in the filing, the player will include 30 gigabytes of storage, wireless capabilities, and an FM radio tuner. The wireless capabilities will allow users to search for other Zune devices within range and share music, photos, playlists, and other media content with those devices, according to Microsoft. Toshiba has a long partnership using Microsoft's software in its products, with the alliance going back to its first laptop in 1980s.
Korea
Internet
ò Cyworld, the most popular internet blog service in South Korea, announced that it is widening its service to Southeast Asian countries, hoping that it can carry on the Hallyu (Korean wave) phenomenon started by movies, soap operas, and computer games. Earlier, SK Communications has launched the localised version of Cyworld in Taiwan. The company said it is planning to expand to other countries in the region, starting with Vietnam as soon as this year, and then Thailand. The company regards China and Southeast Asian countries as the main targets and stated how it couldnÆt overlook the Southeast Asian region, due to population in the area. Before Cyworld became a phenomenon, it was movies, TV dramas, and online computer games winning over Southeast Asia.
Mobile/Wireless
ò KTF, in cooperation with EGTEK, said it has launched ''Love Detector,'' a service that analyses the voice of the party on the other end of the mobile conversation every ten seconds. The data is available in the form of a multimedia message sent immediately after the conversation is finished, showing by indexes the levels of embarrassment, concentration, anticipation, as well as affection. To initiate the service, one should punch in 42 first, followed by the mobile number of the other party, before pressing the call button. The other party will be unaware his or her conversation being monitored. KTF officials said the basic technologies used in their new services originated from the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad in their counterintelligence operations, and these technologies are applied in a wide range of areas from security and business to medicine.
ò SK Telecom announced the launching of its Mobile Karaoke Book services, through which people can search songs with their mobile phones at karaoke rooms of karaoke machine manufacturers Taejin and Gumyoung. With the offering, customers can search songs both by title and by artist name. Through a feature called 'My Song Box,' people can save the code numbers of their favorite songs. Also, all songs are connected to rings, tones, and mobile karaoke room services, so that songs heard offline could be used online as integrated music content. By the end of this year, users can register their mobile phone number into the karaoke machine, and songs saved in 'My Song Box' are retrieved and automatically reserved. SKT said data usage is free for this service and customers using the flat fee plan for wireless internet can use it.
Hardware
ò Electronics makers are introducing new devices that stop people from peeking at otherÆs laptops and mobile phones, with LG.Philips LCD introducing a prototype of an LCD monitor that can shift its viewing angle between 180 degrees and 80 degrees at the press of a button. When the privacy function is activated, the screen instantly clouds over for people viewing from the side, while it is still visible to persons directly in front of the monitor. When turned off, the blurring effect quickly goes away and the screen provides a wider view. The company said the technology will soon be on laptops to help users keep their personal or sensitive information safe on airplanes, subways or in other public places. The company said cash dispensers are also a possible application for the technology.
Telecommunications
ò KT Corp., South Korea's largest fixed-line and broadband operator, announced that it will send its fourth commercial satellite into orbit from the Pacific Ocean this week, marking the nation's first satellite launch from the open sea. The satellite will replace the Koreasat-2 satellite in providing wireless communications and broadcasting services, the company said. Unlike previous KT satellites that helped telecommunications in local areas, the Koreasat-5 will cover other Asian countries, including Japan, China, the Philippines and Taiwan. The company said the satellite will start its service after four months of testing. Sea Launch, a joint venture established in 1995 by Boeing Co. of the United States, Energia of Russia and several European companies, has led the launch of Koreasat-5. With this move, KT now has three communications satellites in orbit.
China
Internet
ò Tencent Holdings announced a 43.3% climb in its in second-quarter net profit to Rmb267.9 million ($33.5 million) for the three months ended June 30 on a 111% increase in sales. The internet and mobile phone value-added services provider owns the mainland internet portal QQ.com, ascribed the rise to the strong growth of its online avatar and community business. The company said active instant messaging accounts for its QQ service increased over the quarter by 1.7% to 224.2 million users compared with 170 million a year ago. Its mobile and telecommunications value-added services such as ring tones and special messages accounted for 25% of sales during the quarter.
ò The state media of China said it has closed down more than 100 web sites for copyright violations since a new regulation came into effect in July, which banned the uploading and downloading of Internet material without permission of the copyright-holder. The web sites included those that provided free downloads of movies and music. Under the regulation, anyone uploading texts, performances, sound and video recordings to the Internet for downloading, or copying, must have permission from copyright owners and pay the required fee. Details about the web sites shut down were not revealed even as some of the cases were being considered for criminal prosecution.
ò Ctrip.com and Yoee.com, both online travel service providers, have both confirmed that from October 17, all their respective air ticket agents will be required to sell e-tickets. According to Ctrip the company's e-ticket bookings has accounted for 50% of the total tickets sold. The figure, according to the company, goes beyond the global average rate of 49%.
Mobile/Wireless
ò Industry sources state that the number of mobile phone users in China has climbed to more than 431 million. The number, as of the end of July, showed a 44.9% increase over the same time last year, following the data coming from the countryÆs Ministry of Information Industry. The report said the countryÆs total number of telephone users have gone beyond 798 million at the same time.
ò Global Music International announced an alliance with China Unicom for the joint development of China Unicom's wireless music services and broadcast of its music video content throughout China Unicom's cellular network. The deal calls for the joint development of China Unicom's Wireless Music services, designing the framework, perfecting the wireless music market, and establishing new digital music consumption models and concepts. The agreement also covers distribution of Global's music video programming, on a monthly subscription basis, for broadcast on mobile phones. The mobile digital music platform developed by China Unicom for both GSM and CDMA networks can support a variety of music services such as ring tone download, ring back tones, IVR, song dedications, and on-demand music video.
Software
ò Kingsoft Corp, a software maker, announced that it had raised $72 million in venture funding from a group that included New Horizon Fund and GIC Special Investments, the private equity investment arm of the Singapore government, and Intel Corp. The company disclosed it is working towards an overseas listing worth $100 million or more in the next year. Kingsoft started out as a traditional software maker, but added online games to its portfolio in 2003 to diversify into the popular area. The company said its revenues grew between 70% and 100% in the past two years and was expected to continue growing in that range this year.
Hardware
ò Dazhong disclosed its plan to sell itself for Rmb3 billion ($376.1 million). In a related development, it mentioned that it is negotiating stock transfers with three home appliance-retailing giants Suning, Best Buy, and Gome. Earlier, Dazhong had reached an agreement with Yongle on a possible merger. The agreement did not materialise because Yongle reached another agreement with Dazhong's competitor Gome, pushing Dazhong to end the contract with Yongle. According to Dazhong, Suning was the first choice because it has fewer stores in Beijing, and the procedures of merging Dazhong will be easier than with the other two companies. Dazhong, a home electronics retailer owns 70 stores in Beijing, and more than 110 stores around China.
Telecommunications
ò ZTE Corp revealed a 47 percent decline in its net profit in the six months to June to Rmb347.1 million ($43.5 million) from Rmb660 million ($82.7 million) in the same period last year. ChinaÆs second-largest telecommunications company said it has focused on emerging markets like Pakistan, Egypt, and Nigeria in search of growth because its technology is not competitive in more developed countries. The drive into such emerging markets has helped boost operating expenses up 8.4% and created a rise in accounts receivable to Rmb6.3 billion ($789.1 million) as of June 30 from Rmb4.6 billion ($576.7 million) at the same time last year.
ò China Netcom Group and its publicly listed subsidiary China Netcom (Hong Kong) announced the completion of the sale of Asia Netcom to an Investor Group led by Ashmore Investment Management, Spinnaker Capital, and Clearwater Capital Partners. The total value of the transaction is $402 million comprising US$169 million for the international service unit of the company owned by China Netcom (Hong Kong) and $233 million for the company's pan-Asian submarine cable network owned by China Netcom Group. Asia Netcom operates an extensive telecom network infrastructure and services platform in the Asia-Pacific region. IRG, a leading boutique investment bank focused on the TMT sector in Asia, including Japan, acted as the financial advisor to the Investor Group for this transaction.
Taiwan
Hardware
ò Asustek Computer, which is considered the world's top maker of computer motherboards, said it forecasts a rise of 45% in its sales this year to $16 billion, above analystsÆ forecast and higher than last yearÆs $11 billion. The company ascribed the optimism to increasing shipments for strong back-to-school demand. A top company official said that already the first-half sales have reached 40% of the full-year target. The official also said that motherboard shipments are expected to go up to 60 million this year from last year's 52 million. Asustek competes with Acer in its own brand business and Hon Hai Precision Industry in its contract manufacturing segment. Asustek is expected to garner sales of NT$457.4 billion ($14 billion) this year, according to forecasts from 17 analysts in a survey. The company counts top personal computer vendors like Apple Computer and Sony as major clients.
Hong Kong
Mobile/Wireless
+ Hutchison disclosed that it has pushed back its break-even target for its 3G mobile-telephone business by six months to the first half of next year. The company said that the number of users in Hutchison's 3UK registered a 4% increase in the first half even as all eight markets posted strong increases ranging from 16 to 60%. Hutchison's 3G loss before interest, finance costs and taxation went down by 40% to HK$11.9 billion ($1.5 billion) from HK$20 billion ($2.5 billion) a year ago. Its revenue posted a 36% growth to HK$23.5 billion ($3 billion).
Singapore/Malaysia/Philippines/Indonesia
Software
ò Apple and Creative Technology, Ltd. announced a broad settlement ending all legal disputes between the two companies. Under the agreement, Apple will pay Creative $100 million for a paid-up license to use Creative's recently awarded patent in all Apple products. Apple can recoup a portion of its payment if Creative is successful in licensing this patent to others. In addition, the companies announced that Creative has joined Apple's "Made for iPod" programme and will be announcing their own iPod accessory products later this year.
Internet
ò VietnamÆs Saigon Postal Corp. (SPT), in coordination with Singapore's leading telecommunications firm SingTel, announced the launching of a private internet protocol-based virtual network service. The SPT V-Connect + service offers a private channel on the internet to integrate data and voice and video applications, which allows for easy creation of multimedia applications, such as e-learning and enterprise resource planning. SPT said the service targets Ho Chi Minh City-based companies with branches inside and outside Vietnam. The connection is expected to be made to 18 countries and territories, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, India, Germany, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Australia, and the US, with the service expected to expand to key cities and provinces in Vietnam by year-end.
A week in tech is brought to you by FinanceAsia, and IRG, Asia's boutique investment bank to the telecoms, media and tech sectors. More can be found at:
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