Japan’s Index Corp. Joins Linktone Alliance

  Japan’s largest mobile internet content provider, Index Corporation (www.indexweb.co.jp), has announced it will enter the China market by joining the Linktone Alliance.

Index is the first non-China-based company to join the Alliance, a mainland-based group that promotes the development of China’s mobile internet by providing wireless technological support to content providers.

Index is the leading supplier of  wireless entertainment content to NTT DoCoMo, Japan’s largest mobile communications company and the operator of the hugely successful i-mode service. Index’s other major customers include DDICellular, IDO, J-PHONE and ASTEL.

“In joining the Linktone Alliance, Index is betting that China will soon see an explosion in data-oriented mobile services similar to that taking place in Japan,” said Yvonne Zhang, Senior Manager of Business Development for Linktone. “Index sees the major growth opportunity for wireless data in China and recognizes Linktone’s position as the dominant player in China’s wireless service industry.”

China’s mobile user base topped 60 million in July, surpassing Japan to become the world’s second-largest mobile phone market after the United States.  By 2005, China’s mobile user base is expected to reach 300 million.

In May, China Mobile Communications Corp. (CMCC) began offering WAP-based mobile data services to subscribers.  CMCC, the dominant supplier of mobile services for the mainland, predicts China’s mobile data user base will hit 800,000 this year and reach 4 million by the end of 2001.


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