Mobile carriers in Japan are required to allow/support number portability by October 24th. I can’t wait for the same here in Canada. Hopefully this makes the providers more competitive – oh wait, what competition?

From Terrie’s Take #387:

-> Number portability to cost about JPY5,000

KDDI has become the first cell phone operator to publish its fee schedule for customers wanting to switch carriers but wanting to keep their number. This comes in response to the number portability law due to take effect on October 24th. KDDI said it will charge a JPY2,100 termination fee, and for those moving to KDDI from another carrier, the standard sign-up fee of JPY2,835. Since NTT DoCoMo and Softbank Mobile are expected to announce similar rates, this means that for most people wanting to switch carriers, the switch will cost them about JPY5,000 in termination and new sign-up fees. (Source: TT commentary from nikkei.co.jp, Aug 10, 2006)

http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/AC/TNKS/Nni20060809D09JFA11.htm

Google Hosted or Gmail for your domain has been hailed as the killer app for those seeking an alternative to corporate groupware. After a short test of the service, it’s my opinion that they still have a very long way to go.

Pros of Google Hosted:

• slick Gmail web interface
• 2GB of storage space for each account
• Google Talk is a decent IM solution
• Google Calendar is a decent calendaring solution
• A control panel that allows you to add/remove accounts as well as create aliases

Cons of Google Hosted:

• Migration is clunky, the service doesn’t activate until it detects that you’ve changed MX records, this could mean some serious downtime!!
• Can’t set priority or confidentiality on outgoing mails like you can in Outlook
• A sending limit! Once you reach it, you can’t send any more! (… and this is supposed to be corporate?!)
• No customer support – want someone to help you? FORGET IT!

Here’s some screen shots of Gmail hosted for those of you who are curious:

In conclusion, Google Hosted is a step up for those users seeking an upgrade from POP3-type hosting. If you’re using IMAP4 or a groupware system like Microsoft Exchange, you’re not going to appreciate Gmail for your domain.