Stories by Martyn Williams

NTT DoCoMo Brings Color to i-Mode Service

NTT Mobile Communications Network Inc., better known as NTT DoCoMo, has announced plans to add color to its i-Mode interactive cellular telephone service. The company will begin selling the first i-Mode-compatible telephone with a color display on Friday - the same day competitors DDI Cellular and Nippon Ido Tsushin launch a 64K bps data service on their CDMA (code division multiple access) network.

Seven Eleven Japan, Others to Launch E-Commerce JV

Convenience store operator Seven Eleven Japan Co. Ltd. today unveiled plans to form a joint venture with seven other companies to sell a wide variety of goods via the Internet, other digital channels and in-store multimedia terminals that will also be capable of delivering digital content.

Reports: Kyocera, Goldman Plan Japan Equity Fund

Japanese electronics and ceramics maker Kyocera Corp. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. on Friday will announce plans to establish a private equity fund that will target unlisted high-tech startup companies in Japan, according to reports in the Thursday morning edition of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun and on Japanese public television station NHK.

KDD inks fibre deal with global crossing

Japan's largest international telecommunications carrier, KDD, has agreed to subscribe to fibre-optic cable capacity worth $US100 million from operator Global Crossing, the latter company announced.

Crosswave Wins Image City Data Center Contract

Japanese new generation telecommunications carrier Crosswave Communications Inc. says it has won a contract to build and operate a data center for Skip City, a planned center for the digital imaging industry.

South Korea Ends Analog Cellular Service

SK Telecom Co. Ltd., South Korea's last remaining operator of an analog cellular service, switched off its network at the end of 1999 in favor of a new digital network.

KDD Inks Fiber Deal with Global Crossing

Japan's largest international telecommunications carrier, KDD Corp., has agreed to subscribe to fiber-optic cable capacity worth US$100 million from operator Global Crossing Ltd., the latter company announced today.

Report: Glitch Hits Heating, Hospital In Korea

South Korea, like most countries, managed to sail into the new year relatively free of problems caused by Year 2000-related computer glitches, but one problem hit the heating system of an apartment complex and forced residents to shiver their way into 2000.

Japanese Financial System Finds Single Y2K Bug

The Bank of Japan and Japan's major financial organizations and institutions gave the all-clear to the country's financial system after several industrywide tests were completed today. The tests were run to check whether any systems were being affected by Year 2000 related computer problems.

Japan's MPT Reports Four Y2K Problems

Japan's Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) reported late today that the nation's information-communications industry has so far been hit by four problems that been confirmed to be Year 2000 related. In all cases, the problems have been resolved, said the ministry.

Computer Problems Hit Three Japan Nuclear Plants

Only a handful of computer problems have been reported in Japan in the new year to date, however at least three hit systems associated with nuclear power plants, according to the government and power generating companies.

Japan makes final preparations for Y2K

With hours to go until the new year begins in Japan, companies and organisations across the nation are preparing to counter whatever incidents Y2K may cause.

Report: China nuclear chief declares Y2K readiness

One of China's leading nuclear experts has said that his company's reactors are Year 2000-ready and pose little danger, according to media reports. Li Dingfan, president of China National Nuclear Corp. (CNNC), told the Business Weekly newspaper he had full confidence in the industry and its capacity to deal with any problems that should develop.

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