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Technology Stocks : Qualcomm Moderated Thread - please read rules before posting -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: slacker711 who wrote (26177)	8/28/2002 12:53:46 PM
From: slacker711	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 196745

Toyota planning a telematics service based on 1x.... nni.nikkei.co.jp Wednesday, August 28, 2002 Cell Phone Firms Eye Auto-Related Applications As Promising Business TOKYO (Nikkei)--Cell phone companies such as KDDI Corp. (9433) and NTT DoCoMo Inc. (9437) are working to boost operations involving communications links built in to products including automobiles, video game machines and digital cameras with a view to gaining ground in what they see as a promising field. Related Story: Toyota To Launch Auto Telematics Service In Autumn The move comes at a time when the domestic market for mobile phones is showing signs of saturation, with the number of subscribers hitting 60% of the total population. This has forced mobile phone firms to look for revenue sources other than conventional handset sales and telephony services. In one example of the trend, Toyota Motor Corp. (7203) is to offer a vehicle-based terminal capable of retrieving music and data such as restaurant information at a rate of 144 kilobits per second. The terminal will take advantage of KDDI's third-generation cell phone CDMA2000 1x transmission network to retrieve data. Toyota will offer the service, known as G-Book, at a fixed fee in what is the first attempt to offer communications services on a terminal other than a handset using a cell phone transmission network. Nissan Motor Co. (7201) is set to launch a similar service in a tie-up with DoCoMo next year, using the transmission network for the top mobile phone firm's 3-G handset, known as FOMA. The number of domestic mobile phone subscribers has hit a near-saturation point of 7.7 million, pressuring mobile phone firms to consider new ways of garnering revenue that do not involve the large incentive payments currently paid to handset and telephony service sales agents. (The Nihon Keizai Shimbun Thursday morning edition) nni.nikkei.co.jp Wednesday, August 28, 2002 Toyota To Launch Auto Telematics Service In Autumn TOKYO (Nikkei)--Toyota Motor Corp. (7203) announced Wednesday that it will launch its G-BOOK information service for automobile-mounted IT terminals this autumn. Related Story: Cell Phone Firms Eye Auto-Related Applications As Promising Business The so-called telematics service will allow users to retrieve and browse a range of information, such as news, transportation and entertainment information, via vehicle-mounted terminals. "We want to provide a new way of enjoying car driving," said Akio Toyoda, a managing director at Japan's top automaker, at a press conference. In a related move, Toyota will in autumn debut a new car equipped with an information terminal specifically designed for the G-BOOK service. Developed by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. (6752), the terminal will come with a built-in communications chip as well as online transaction settlement functions. The terminal will also be compatible with SD memory cards, meaning that inserting such a card into the terminal's slot will allow users to enjoy music and videos. Initially, about 50 companies are expected to provide content for the service, Toyota officials said. Next month, ahead of the launch of the service, Toyota will set up a Web site through which it will introduce the service from October to PDA (personal digital assistant) and cellular phone users. The company plans to adopt a fixed-fee system for the service, but has not disclosed exactly how much it will charge. Nissan Motor Co. (7201) has also tied up with NTT DoCoMo Inc. (9437) to provide a similar telematics service. Competition among automakers to provide information services combining autos and IT is expected to heat up in the months to come. (The Nihon Keizai Shimbun Thursday morning edition)