Radar Screen

Back to Contents of Issue: October 2001


This Month: iBeam and FunMail.


iBeam www.ibeam.com

California-based iBeam is breathing new life into its Intelligent Distribution Network. IDN serves streaming content from a point close to the end user, sort of like Star DSL's system (see "How it Works," page 40, April 2001), and targets media companies, content owners, TV and radio stations, and Web sites. iBeam has offices in the US and Europe, and now in Tokyo, too. Maybe we'll see an IDN server attached to, say, DoCoMo's 3G i-mode system, or eAccess' ADSL network.

FunMail www.funmail.com

Character-based animation and marketing meshes with mobile and Japan like -- well, like Hello Kitty meshes with practically everything. FunMail is a US-based mobile service provider whose initial (and most significant to date) customer is -- surprise -- NTT DoCoMo's i-mode (the service launched in May). FunMail was ported to NEC's Biglobe ISP portal in July, will be ported to KDDI's BREW service, and now licenses the ever popular South Park characters. Like we keep telling you, cute sells here!

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