The company is scheduled to begin operating in March 2009 with capital of JPY3.5 billion and capital reserves of JPY3.5 billion, 30% from DOCOMO and 70% from Avex Entertainment (AEI).
The new company will produce and distribute content developed specifically for the small screens of mobile phones, giving special consideration to scripting, editing, photography, etc tailored for the mobile phone environment.
Docomo will provide its IT infrastructure, mobile technologies and experience in providing mobile customers with video content. AEI will contribute its expertise in the fields of content creation, artist management and services centered on intellectual property.
After its establishment planned for February 2009, the new company expects to form content-creation partnerships with five video-content production companies, including Fuji Television Network, and Oz. Additional partnerships are also anticipated.
Earlier in November 2000, NTT DoCoMo, Inc. (NTT DoCoMo) had applied to the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications for permission to launch its M-stage visual video content distribution service for Personal Handyphone System (PHS) mobile phone users. This is the world’s first wireless video content distribution service using MPEG4 technology.
The aim was to enable users to download or stream video content such as movies and music as well as news, sports and other content, via NTT DoCoMo’s mopera mobile Internet service. The menu includes some 47 channels of providers offering more than 130 sub-menus of content.
In September this year, Nissan Motor Co., NTT DOCOMO, and Sharp Corporation announced that they have jointly developed a mobile phone capable of functioning as an intelligent key for automobiles.
