LONDON-NTT Mobile Communications Network Inc. and Symbian announced their agreement
to create research and development programs, specifically to establish and expand the wireless information devices
market and provide broad support for devices developed on Symbian’s EPOC platform.
Under the agreement, NTT
DoCoMo and Symbian will define specifications to provide end-to-end solutions, from devices to network-based
applications and services, for the Japanese market.
According to Justine Heys, principal analyst for The Yankee
Group, NTT DoCoMo’s expertise on the W-CDMA standard, Symbian’s experience with software platforms for
wireless information devices and Symbian’s licensees’ extensive knowledge of the design and distribution of devices
makes the partnership “important news for the global wireless industry.”