|
|
The popular microblogging service, Twitter has launched a new Japanese mobile platform to penetrate into its market. Earlier other social networking sites including Facebook and MySpace have gained little ground in securing much access.
Twitter has been serious in this field because the company has been using Japanese as the only foreign language.
Earlier, Twitter had partnered with Tokyo-based Internet firm Digital Garage Inc. to launch a Japanese-language platform for cell phones and other mobile devices last year.
"It's an excellent opportunity for us to see where we can go in Asia in general because Japan represents a leading edge, with advanced mobile usage," said Twitter co-founder Biz Stone.
Stressing on the effort he said, "Mobile is in Twitter's DNA."
According to Stone, they will offer the site in many other European languages like Spanish, German and French. Apart from that, they will also integrate some new features such as banner ads to set up new revenue streams.
As per the company reports, the new site is gaining popularity from all walks of life including media persons, celebrities and politicians. The internet research firm NetRatings has reported a fourfold of the users to 783,000 between January and June this year. Interestingly, the companies and radio stations are taking the advantage of Twitters brand value.
Still, Twitter remains no match to Mixi, country's top social networking site with a user base of 17 million.
Digital Garage's Rocky Eda said that they needed a locally friendly mobile platform to expand their service because it is the ultimate technique to expand in Japan.
Twitter already has its English version, but many of the features are not compatible with the Japanese language. So the Japanese mobile users relying on third-party platforms like ‘movatwitter’ to express their ideas.
The new Japanese mobile version can help the users to send emotions with the messages. Apart from that, they can also directly update their profile without using a PC.
Yukari Matsuzawa, Twitter's Japan country manager is hopeful that the Twitter’s native version will be accepted soon by the users.
She said, "As Japanese people creatively start to use Twitter, it will help define what the tipping point will be."
"It will be a combination of excellent innovative users in Japan, as well as more celebrities and influential people," she added.
