Symbian signs development agreement with Japanese network operator

Japanese mobile operator to develop user interface and service delivery technologies for 3G handsets using Symbian OS

London, United Kingdom â?? September 26, 2003 â?? Symbian Limited today announces that it has signed an Operator Technology Integrator agreement with NTT DoCoMo, Inc. This agreement gives NTT DoCoMo access to Symbian OS source code and the right to deliver extended versions of this code to phone manufacturers that are Symbian OS licensees.

Under the terms of the Operator Technology Integrator agreement, Symbian enables NTT DoCoMo to integrate reference implementations of the specific technologies that are required to deliver NTT DoCoMo FOMA 3G network services on phones based on Symbian OS, including user interface and service-level functionality. By this agreement, it is possible for NTT DoCoMo to use Symbian OS as one of the platforms for consistent, optimised and tested implementation of its FOMA technologies to enhance the customer experience of NTT DoCoMoâ??s networked content and services across a range of handsets from multiple handset vendors.

For handset vendors, adopting the open industry standard Symbian OS technology, combined with NTT DoCoMo-specified platform technologies, as well as technologies available from third party suppliers within the Symbian OS ecosystem, enables them to both reduce phone development costs and shorten time to market.

NTT DoCoMo ^®
Kiyohito Nagata, Managing Director of Customer Equipment Development Department at NTT DoCoMo, said:
"NTT DoCoMo is very pleased to sign this Operator Technology Integrator agreement with Symbian as one of the platforms for our 3G handsets. Phones based on Symbian OS have already proven to be successful and popular with NTT DoCoMo FOMA customers. We look forward to further phones based on Symbian OS integrating technologies that will improve still further our customersâ?? experiences of using NTT DoCoMoâ??s FOMA network.â?? 

Symbian ^®
David Levin, Chief Executive Officer of Symbian Ltd, said:
"NTT DoCoMo has a history of innovation and leadership in the provision of data services in the wireless world and a deep understanding of market requirements. The Operator Technology Integrator agreement with NTT DoCoMo represents a great opportunity for handset manufacturers to take best advantage of Symbian OS and to exploit the full potential of FOMA. Symbian OS will be even more attractive as a development platform for handset vendors worldwide.â??

About Symbian

Symbian is a software licensing company that develops and licenses Symbian OS, the global open industry standard operating system for advanced, data-enabled mobile phones.

Symbian has licensed Symbian OS to the world's leading mobile phone manufacturers including Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Siemens and Sony Ericsson. Publicly announced products based on Symbian OS include the BenQ P30, Motorola A920 for 3, Samsung SGH-D700, Siemens SX-1, NTT DoCoMo FOMA F2102V and F2051 built by Fujitsu, Sony Ericsson P800 Smartphone, Nokia 9200 Communicator range as well as the 7650, 6600, 3650 and N-Gage.

Symbian has its global headquarters in London, United Kingdom with development sites in Europe and Asia. In Japan, Symbian, its licensees and the wider Symbian OS ecosystem are supported by Kanrikogaku Kenkyusho Ltd. (K3) and OMRON Software Co. Ltd. Both companies were awarded Symbian Competence Center status in 2000.

Symbian

FOMA is a registered trademark of NTT DoCoMo, Inc. In Japan.
FOMA service is only available to subscribers in Japan.

Media Enquiries

Peter Bancroft (Europe & Asia) VP, Communications Symbian Ltd +44 20 75632546 press@symbian.com

Valerie Breslow (Americas) Symbian Ltd +1 519 5851700 valerie.breslow@symbian.com