DOCOMO has led the $20 million Series D investment round of funding for Eye-Fi, with a $14 million investment.
The companies plan to integrate DOCOMO’s mobile personal cloud system for individual-oriented cloud-based services and other related services and Eye-Fi’s View cloud service and multiplatform, instant photo/video uploading system.
DOCOMO will combine its Otayori Photo Service, which sends uploaded photos to 3G-capable digital photo frames, and Eye-Fi’s SD/SDHC card, which instantly uploads photos from digital cameras.
DOCOMO customers will be able to easily send photos from their digital cameras to Otayori Photo Service without having to connect the camera via a USB or communication cable.
Eye-Fi’s latest cards, which will be made available from April, do not require initial setup via a computer, and will be easily formatted with a user’s smartphone via an Eye-Fi’s application software. DOCOMO plans to sell Eye-Fi’s latest cards at docomo shops starting in April, earlier than in most other countries.
DOCOMO and Eye-Fi also are already discussing additional possibilities for combining their respective technologies for other convenient, innovative personal-cloud services from DOCOMO.
DOCOMO will place increasing emphasis on its growing range of personal-cloud services, in addition to continuing to diversify its lineup of smartphones and other mobile devices and developing advanced technologies centered on mobility.
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