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DOCOMO to Form Business and Capital Alliance with Pioneer to Enter Intelligent Transport Systems BusinessTokyo, May 13, 2013 (JCN Newswire via COMTEX) -- NTT DOCOMO, INC., a personalized mobile solutions provider for smarter living, announced today an agreement on a business and capital alliance with Pioneer Corporation, a leading manufacturer of car and home electronics, to integrate Pioneer's in-car navigation telematics technologies and related peripheral development capabilities with DOCOMO's mobile cloud expertise to make a full-scale entry into the field of intelligent transport systems (ITS). The envisioned in-car ITS system will use probe data gathered from Pioneer's car-mounted navigation system and DOCOMO smartphones in moving vehicles to process detailed traffic information in Pioneer's ITS cloud platform. ITS services that integrate this information with various other services will be jointly developed and launched for individual and corporate customers this year. In addition to developing such services and constructing ITS-related cloud infrastructure, the two companies will develop and sell compatible car-mounted communication devices. Under the capital alliance, DOCOMO plans to invest about five billion yen (approx. 50 million U.S. dollars) through a third-party allocation of new shares to acquire approx. 7% stake in Pioneer this coming June 28. DOCOMO and Pioneer already have partnered in the integration of car electronics and information services, including the "docomo Drive NetTM" navigation service, which incorporates DOCOMO's smartphones placed in dashboard-mounted cradles. About NTT DOCOMO <BR /><BR />NTT DOCOMO is a world-leading mobile operator and growing provider of comprehensive services centered on mobility. The company serves over 60 million customers in Japan via advanced wireless networks, including a nationwide 3G network and one of the world's first commercial LTE networks. Leveraging its unique capabilities as a mobile operator, DOCOMO is a leading developer of cutting-edge technologies for NFC mobile payments, mobile GPS, mobile TV, intuitive mobile assistance, environmental monitoring, smart grids and much more. Overseas, the company provides technical and operational expertise to eight mobile operators and other partner companies. NTT DOCOMO is listed on the Tokyo (9437), London (NDCM) and New York (DCM) stock exchanges. Please visit www.nttdocomo.com for more information. Contact: Eijun Tanaka or So Hiroki International PR Public Relations Department Tel: +81-3-5156-1366 Fax: +81-3-5501-3408 Website: www.nttdocomo.com |