British Telecom today announced a 50:50 joint venture with Japanese operator KDDI to sell managed services to Japanese multi-nationals.

Industry analyst Gartner estimates the current size of the outsourcing market in Japan at around $90bn (ВЈ49bn) – twice the size of the rest of Asia Pacific markets combined.

Upon launch, the joint venture will have approximately 100 employees backed by the full corporate resources of BT and KDDI including R&D, IP-based services and financing. Existing customers of BT Japan and BT Infonet Japan will be serviced by the new company.

Andy Green, chief executive officer of BT Global Services said: “As the world’s second largest corporate market, Japan is high on BT’s priority list…the challenges of managing global networking technology, coupled with greater demands on performance, reliability and security, are projected to drive significant growth for network outsourcing.”

While the majority of BT’s business and resources in Japan will be transferred to the new entity, the company will continue to provide carrier, financial and technology services directly.

KDDI Corporation is pleased to announce its agreement with Google Inc. to incorporate Google’s search engine into KDDI’s EZ Web Internet service for au mobile phones, beginning in July of this year. The search service, which will synthesize content aimed at both mobile phones and PCs, is the first of its kind in Japan. The adoption of Google’s search engine will make EZ Web searches easier while enabling direct access to information sought by users.

The tie-up will lead not only to the improvement of existing search engines, which target content aimed exclusively at mobile phones, but provide an extensive search service that also targets content aimed at PCs. In addition, KDDI’s content information management will enable users more direct access to the information they seek. Consider, for example, a search for information about an artist: In the past, a search would turn up links to relevant content in officially designated categories, forcing the user to perform further searches in each category. However, the new service will provide direct access to music, applications, books and magazines, shopping and other information related to the artist.

Additionally, through the use of Google’s proprietary search technology, text advertisements based on search terms are displayed alongside search results, enabling the provision of targeted information, including advertisements, that addresses the needs of au users.

Going forward, KDDI and Google will strive for rapid improvement in search functionality, enabling simple and direct access to a wide range of information via mobile phones and in doing so, enhancing their usefulness. Through the development of such innovative services, the partners are seeking to invigorate Japan’s mobile Internet market.

Opera Software and Japan’s largest 3G operator, KDDI, today announced that Opera Software’s Mobile browser will be shipped on five new mobile phones in KDDI’s featured summer series. Opera Mobile has previously been included on five KDDI models in 2006, including the recently announced, WiFi-enabled Sanyo E02SA. With the inclusion of KDDI’s summer series, Opera Mobile will have been a key application on ten KDDI 3G handsets so far in 2006.

The Opera Mobile browser will be included on the following BREW-based devices for KDDI’s summer series: Sanyo W33SA II, Sony-Ericsson W42S, Casio W42CA, Hitachi W42H and Toshiba W44T. This follows the announcement of the Opera Mobile browser so far in 2006 on the Hitachi W41H, Casio W41CA, Sony-Ericsson W41S, Toshiba W43T and Sanyo E02SA.

“We recognize that our users demand a superior product that offers them an unsurpassed browsing experience,” says Hiroyuki Sakaniwa, Group Leader, Application Platform Group, Product Management Department, “au” Service & Product Planning Division “au” Business Sector, KDDI. “That is why we have selected the Opera Mobile browser.”

The new summer series handsets will include enhanced browser features such as a password manager, portal search directly from the UI, and performance improvements. The Sanyo E02SA, will be the first mobile device from KDDI designed specifically for corporate clients and can be used both as a telephone for making calls using VoIP, and as a mobile phone.

“The Japanese market is setting the standard for mobile technology,” says Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software. “KDDI’s commitment to continue to include Opera on their new handsets is a testament to KDDI’s focus on quality.”

The 3G network in Japan is growing steadily with approximately 40 million subscribers. With 2G being phased out of the Japanese market, Opera recognizes the demand for its advanced browsing solutions to enable advanced 3G Web services.