Google to offer search to DoCoMo users

Google Inc. scored yet another carrier partner, securing a deal to deliver its services to NTT DoCoMo Inc. subscribers.
Japan’s No. 1 wireless carrier said it will offer Google services including search, Gmail, YouTube and Picasa to its 46 million i-mode subscribers. The search offering is set to come to market this spring and will include keyword-based advertisements among search results via Google’s AdWords platform.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Under the agreement, Google will appear as the default start page on the full i-mode browser, and a new search box will be placed on the top page of the i-mode portal. The companies also announced tentative plans to embed Google Maps for Mobile on i-mode handsets.
The tie-up is no surprise: The deal had been rumored for weeks, and DoCoMo is a member of the Open Mobile Alliance, which Google helped launch two months ago. But the move marks a major win for Google, as DoCoMo’s i-mode customers are among the most voracious mobile data consumers in the world.
Google has already partnered with Japan’s second-largest carrier, KDDI Corp.; the company also powers the popular web’n’walk service offered by T-Mobile in Europe and a mobile search service for China Mobile. Shares of Google jumped more than 3% to $565.94 following the announcement.