SoftBank

The decision by Japan's three mobile operators to move away from handset subsidies is putting pressure on the country's handset suppliers and could lead to consolidation amongst the smaller players, reports the Financial Times (FT) today.

Japanese mobile operator Softbank is to launch commercial 3G IMS-based femtocell services from January 2009, making it the first operator in the world to do so.

Semiconductor firm ARM has agreed to work with an IBM-led alliance in developing next-generation technology for processors aimed at mobile devices and consumer electronics, the companies announced Monday, reports Information Week.

Sharp has cut its annual operating profit outlook by one-third, citing sluggish growth in mobile handsets.

Associated Press reports that SoftBank, which runs the only Japanese mobile operator to offer the iPhone, said profit doubled in the latest quarter as its mobile business continued to expand.

Reuters reports that Softbank, Japan's third-largest mobile operator, reported a 7 percent rise in quarterly group operating profit today, boosted by its Internet and fixed-line phone operations, and forecast 5 percent growth this business year.

US software maker Adobe and chip company ARM have joined forces to bring better Web services to ARM-powered devices, including mobiles from most of the world's biggest handset makers, reports Reuters.