DoCoMo 3G Phones Get Windows Media

Japanese wireless operator NTT DoCoMo will use Microsoft's Windows Media technology on its next-generation mobile phones, enabling customers initially to play tunes on their handsets and, at some point down the line, video too.

The carrier, a pioneer in third-generation (3G) wireless networks, said the Windows Media Audio platform, including its built-in copyright-protection technology, will be added to the company's FOMA (freedom of mobile media) handsets, starting with the F902iS model that will be released this summer.

As a result of the deal, the phones will be able to play music downloaded to a PC from some 100 online music services, as well songs ripped from CDs in Windows Media Audio format.

Digital Rights Is Key

Mobile music services are beginning to come into their own, with Sprint Nextel, Verizon, and Cingular all offering variations that include direct downloads to the phone.

Analysts contend that these new services won't replace the iPod, but may prove popular as 3G networks and services continue to roll out globally.

"What's significant about the DoCoMo-Microsoft arrangement is that it includes the Windows Media DRM technology so that users can play the music on multiple devices," said David Linsalata, an analyst at IDC.

"Windows Media is a major player in the desktop space," he said, "and providing compatibility with mobile phones is a key driver of mobile music."

Phone Users Want Tunes

Linsalata said Apple most likely isn't too worried about competition from carriers because most phones have storage capacities in the 1-GB to 2-GB range, compared to some 30 GB of storage space for most iPods.

"The phone is still a voice-centric device, and there will be people who carry both a phone and an MP3 player," the analyst said.

IDC projects that the number of music-enabled handsets will rise from 12 percent of phones shipped worldwide in 2005 to 50 percent by 2009.

yahoo.com/