Lookout Inc Announces A Partnership With Japan’s KDDI

One in five Japanese smartphone owners have lost or misplaced their phone, according to a recent study by Lookout Inc. The mobile security provider also said that half of smartphone owners in Japan would be willing to pay up to $275 just to recover the data from a lost or stolen mobile device. Forbes reported that Lookout had added between 30 million and 50 million customers in just a matter of months this year.

Looking to take advantage of smartphone owners’ willingness to pay for data protection, Lookout is teaming up with Japan’s largest telecommunications provider KDDI. The move, which will eventually install Lookout software on all KDDI Android phones in Japan, further strengthens Lookout’s position as the global vanguard in mobile security.

Lookout security offers KDDI Android and iOS customers an array of useful security options that includes pinpointing the location of lost phones, remotely locking a lost or stolen phone and wiping all information from a missing phone.

Lookout CEO Jim Dolce said more than two million people in Japan already protect their phones with Lookout.

The deal with KDDI helps cement Lookout’s reputation as a market leader in mobile security and comes on the heels of partnerships with some of the world’s largest mobile operators including AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, EE, Orange France, T-Mobile and Sprint. The company said about 50 million mobile users worldwide use Lookout security.

Shortly after the deal was finalized, Firas Azmeh, VP of channel sales at Lookout, tweeted “After 1 year & 10 trips to Tokyo, so excited about @lookout partnership with KDDI in Japan. Great announcement & launch event yesterday.”

photo credit: Taco Ekkel via Flickr