(Nikkei BP Group)
(No.1 High-Tech News Site in Japanese)
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| J-COM Launches Motorola-Made, Palm-Sized Wireless Terminal
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February 9, 1999 (TOKYO) -- J-COM Co., Ltd., a mobile communications
service company funded by Nippon Motorola Ltd. and others, launched
a palm-sized wireless terminal.
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The NEXNET 1000 mobile terminal is to be used with the NEXNET, a wireless
communications service operated by J-COM and aimed at business users.
The palm-sized terminal weighs only 150g, and the company said it is
smaller and lighter than other existing products. It is expected to
be sold at market prices. The terminal was developed by Motorola Inc.
of the United States.
Orix Corp., one of the companies funding J-COM, also is expected to provide
the product on a leased basis. For example, for a six-year lease the
monthly cost will be 1,327 yen (US$12). Until March 31 it will be 1,080
yen (US$10).
NEXNET is a wireless communication service that uses the Integrated Digital
Enhanced Network (iDEN), a digital communications technology developed
by Motorola Inc.
Since July 1998 J-COM has been providing services such as: (1) one-on-one
communication with a specific partner, (2) simultaneous communications
with users within a specific group, and (3) communications with regular
fixed telephones as well as mobile phones. The current service area
is metropolitan Tokyo and surrounding areas.
The major features of NEXNET 1000 include a speaker phone that allows
users to communicate without holding a receiver, text-based communications
and voice mail. The terminal is not capable of data communications as
is the DIGI-TALKIE, J-COM's other terminal.
J-COM also announced that it acquired the sole distributorship of Motorola's
NEXNET terminals in Japan. J-COM is expected to take over the role of
supporting the existing distributors and to be in charge of deployment
of sales promotion such as development of new distributors. The company
will also take charge of sales activities by newly assigning about 70
sales representatives.
Until now, NEXNET users have been mainly transportation companies. Because
of this, its product lines are centered around considerably larger terminals
that are loaded onto vehicles. J-COM hopes to broaden its user base
to sales units and service units of general companies by introducing
lightweight mobile terminals and by setting up a communications environment
within buildings as well as by expanding service areas.
Currently, NEXNET has about 40,000 registered users. J-COM reportedly
aims to gain 75,000 new contract users.
(BizTech News Dept.)
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