Telecom Lead Asia: NTT Docomo is increasing its presence
in the mobile content space. In the last 12 months, the Japenese telecom major
announced a series of acquisitions.
The acquisitions are significant for the Japanese major
as it is spreading its presence in the 3G and 4G market. NTT DOCOMO serves
over 56 million customers in Japan, including 49 million using i-mode, a mobile
e-mail/Internet platform, and 54 million using FOMA, the world’s original 3G
mobile service based on W-CDMA.
On Friday, NTT Docomo finalized the acquisition of
Italian mobile content and apps provider Buongiorno for 209 million euros.
The Japanese telecommunication giant will pay 2 euros a
share in cash to own nearly 94 percent of the Italian company.
Buongiorno makes apps for entertainment such as music and
gaming and provides e-payment solutions, with more than 80 percent of its sales
outside of Italy.
NTT Docomo is also placing increasing emphasis on its growing range of
personal-cloud services, in addition to continuing to diversify its lineup of
smartphones and other mobile devices and developing advanced technologies
centered on mobility.
NTT Docomo to pick up 25% stake in VMG Media Vietnam
NTT Docomo acquired approximately 25 percent stake in
Vietnam’s largest mobile content provider, VMG Media, which has a market share
of 25 percent in the country.
The stock purchase, worth approximately 370 billion
Vietnam Dong or about 1.4 billion Japanese yen, represents NTT Docomo’s first
investment in Vietnam.
VMG offers both content and content platforms. With its
investment, Docomo will share its expertise and know-how with VMG, such as in
content distribution, with the aim of boosting VMG’s business and expanding
Docomo’s value-added services in Asia-Pacific.
Docomo will work together with VMG’s largest stakeholder,
Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), the country’s largest
telecom operator, which holds about 29 percent stake in the company, to promote
VMG’s business.
NTT Docomo picks up stake in Wi-Fi compatible SD and SDHC cards
firm Eye-Fi
Recently, NTT Docomo invested in Eye-Fi, a provider of
Wi-Fi compatible SD and SDHC cards. NTT Docomo has led the $20 million
Series D investment round of funding for Eye-Fi, with a $14 million investment.
The companies plan to integrate Docomo’s mobile personal cloud system for
individual-oriented cloud-based services and other related services and
Eye-Fi’s View cloud service and multiplatform, instant photo/video uploading
system. Docomo will combine its Otayori Photo Service, which sends
uploaded photos to 3G-capable digital photo frames, and Eye-Fi’s SD/SDHC card,
which instantly uploads photos from digital cameras.
