March 18, 2008
GMO Internet Group to Offer Free Mobile Web Site Construction and Hosting to 560,000 Business Customers
- GMO Internet Inc.
Tokyo – March 18, 2008 – GMO Internet Group announces that it will offer free construction of mobile phone web sites containing corporate data and other information to the group’s 560,000 business customers. As more and more businesses set up mobile web sites, users searching for a site on a mobile phone face fewer obstacles to accessing accurate company information, and companies are publishing their own information so they no longer risk potential damage to brand image. We are set to begin rolling out customer mobile sites from April.
Background to Free Mobile Web Site Construction Service
* An official site is a site that has passed carrier screening
All other mobile web sites are non-official sites.
● The number of users accessing the internet via mobile devices is increasing by the year (see attachment 1).
● The percentage of business that have set up mobile web sites is low. Even among listed companies of which 92.2% have PC web sites, only a very low 15.4% have mobile web sites. (*Nikkei Net Marketing, January 2008).
● Mobile phone usage rates are at 37.9% for official sites and 44.9% for non-official sites. These figures reflect a greater demand for non-official sites. (Keitai White Paper 2008).
● This spring all mobile carriers (DoCoMo, au, Softbank) will finish launching search engines that are expected to further boost non-official site page views and increase demand for mobile sites among businesses.
● When a business name is entered into a mobile phone search window, advertisements for adult content and other inappropriate content are displayed along with the company name, negatively impacting the brand.
● Official and non-official sites both show up In mobile search engine results. When a company name is not included in a URL users are at times uncertain as to whether they are really viewing the company’s site.
GMO Internet Group holds the number one share in the corporate web hosting market. The factors above led us to the decision to offer free construction of mobile web sites to our 560,000 business customers. By increasing the percentage of businesses that have mobile web sites we are helping to broaden the information available on the mobile Internet.
The new mobile web hosting business is born out of the GMO Internet Group corporate philosophy. We strive to redefine the industry and foster a vibrant Internet culture and make a contribution to society. Going forward we will introduce recruitment pages and images for mobile web sites. We continue to aim to be number one in customer satisfaction.
Mobile Web Site: Basic Service Specifications (Free)
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Domain
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Sub domain of customers own domain.
E.g. http://mobile.customerdomain.
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Customer Data
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Information about the company (company name, address, telephone number) from the customer's existing website is obtained to create a mobile version.
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Additional Data
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Customers can use the GMO Internet Group service control panel to add a company introduction or inquiry form.
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Mobile Site Screen Images: Free Construction and Provision
Media Inquiries
GMO Internet Inc. Group PR Team
The GMO Internet Group
The GMO Internet Group is a leading force in the Internet industry offering one of the most comprehensive ranges of Internet services in Japan. We hold top domestic market shares in domain registration, web hosting and payment processing and we provide a host of other services including e-commerce solutions and Internet advertising to individual and corporate customers. Striving to redefine the industry and foster a vibrant Internet culture, the GMO Internet Group is continuously working to inspire enthusiasm in our customers and put smiles on their faces.
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Company Name
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GMO Internet Inc. http://www.gmo.jp/en
(TSE First Section Code: 9449)
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Address
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Cerulean Tower, 26-1 Sakuragaokacho, Shibuya ku, Tokyo, JAPAN
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CEO
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Masatoshi Kumagai
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Business Description
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- Internet Use Support (Infrastructure)
- Internet Advertising Support (Media)
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Capital
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12,631,970,000 yen
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Attachment 1: Internet Users via Cell Phone, PHS, and Handheld Devices (Communications Usage Trends Survey, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications)
Attachment 2: Inappropriate advertising on Non-official Sites
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