NTT DOCOMO Develops Remote Lock Application for Android Smartphones with Red Bend Software

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Red Bend Software, the market leader in Mobile Software Management (MSM) with more than 1 billion Red Bend-Enabled™ devices, today announced that the new Omakase Lock service from NTT DOCOMO, INC., a world-leading mobile operator with 60 million customers in Japan, features a remote lock application equipped with Red Bend's vDirect Mobile®. The application can be locked from a different location by just contacting DOCOMO, providing mobile consumers with increased security for lost Android smartphones by preventing unauthorized access.

Since 2009, DOCOMO　has used Red Bend's software for firmware over-the-air (FOTA) updating, device management and application management across its range of mobile phones and connected devices. Following the adoption of Red Bend's software in Japan, docomo.com, a subsidiary wholly owned by NTT DOCOMO, Inc., became a strategic investor in Red Bend in 2011. Now the companies have expanded their cooperation to include the new DOCOMO remote lock application used in the Omakase Lock service, which is compliant with Open Mobile Alliance Device Management (OMA DM) industry standards.

“We selected Red Bend as our application development partner for Android smartphones because Red Bend's innovative software management solutions, superior engineering and responsive customer support have contributed to the realization of our vision and our achievements over the past three years,” said DOCOMO's Kazuaki Terunuma, Vice President and Managing Director of Communication Device Development Department. “Since smartphone users can download new applications and customize their phones freely, smartphones require security measures that are different from those for conventional handsets. Red Bend's vDirect Mobile is enabling DOCOMO to offer the remote lock application service to Android smartphones.”

Yoram Salinger, CEO of Red Bend Software, said, “The shift to smartphones is accelerating in Japan, with smartphone shipments up 450 percent and expected to reach 56% of new handsets in fiscal 2011, according to MM Research Institute. The popularity of smartphones is a trend seen all over the world, and operators are trying to expand their businesses with remote lock applications and services. We are proud that DOCOMO has continued its trust in Red Bend through this development project. We are committed to supporting DOCOMO to improve the functionality of its products and increase consumers' satisfaction.”

About NTT DOCOMO, INC.

NTT DOCOMO is a world-leading integrated-services company centered on mobility. The company serves over 60 million mobile customers in Japan via advanced wireless networks, including a nationwide 3G network and one of the world's first commercial LTE networks. Leveraging its unique capabilities as a mobile operator, DOCOMO is a leading developer of cutting-edge technologies for NFC mobile payments, mobile GPS, mobile TV, intuitive mobile assistance, environmental monitoring, smart grids and much more. Overseas, the company provides technical and operational expertise to eight mobile operators and other partner companies. NTT DOCOMO is listed on the Tokyo (9437), London (NDCM) and New York (DCM) stock exchanges. Please visit www.nttdocomo.com for more information.

About Red Bend Software

Red Bend® Software, the leader in Mobile Software Management (MSM) with more than 1 billion Red Bend-Enabled™ devices, makes mobile devices and services continuously better in a rapidly changing world. Red Bend is the only company that provides standards-based products and solutions for software management, device management and mobile virtualization that work on any mobile phone and connected device uniformly, efficiently and securely over the air. Red Bend enables its customers to stay competitive in a fast-moving market by helping them deliver high-value services on an increasing number of connected devices with growing software complexity. More than 80 leading device manufacturers, mobile operators, semiconductor vendors and automotive companies worldwide trust Red Bend with their most important assets — the mobile and connected devices their consumers depend on.