NTT DoCoMo, Rakuten to Set Up Online Auction JV

Tokyo, Oct. 11 (Jiji Press)–NTT DoCoMo Inc. and Rakuten Inc. are planning to establish a joint venture to provide online auction services.

NTT DoCoMo President Masao Nakamura and Rakuten Chairman Hiroshi Mikitani will hold a joint press conference in Tokyo from 4 p.m. Tuesday (7 a.m. GMT) to announce the partnership.

By teaming up with NTT DoCoMo, a major mobile phone carrier, Rakuten will aim to shore up its Internet auction services.

Rakuten, a major online shopping mall operator, is lagging behind KDDI Corp. in auction services using mobile phone handsets. It is also struggling to catch up with Yahoo Japan Corp. in personal computer-based auction services.

The envisaged joint venture is expected to open an auction Web site that can be accessed from both mobile phones and PCs, informed sources said.END