History of Sega/Mobile
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Over the years Sega has made several ventures into the mobile gaming market. Mobile is a branch of video games which is typically played on a mobile phone or similar device; one usually considered distinct from "handheld gaming", i.e. software created specifically for a handheld video game console such as the Game Boy or Game Gear, in that the devices used to play mobile games were usually phones first, game platforms second.
Background
While possible since the 1980s, the concept of the mass market owning and using mobile phones didn't take off until the mid-1990s, when it became cost-effective to produce small phones with a long battery life. Rapid improvements in technology saw regular releases of noticeably more advanced phones, incorporating new features such as text messaging, colour screens, built-in cameras, internet access and the ability to run software, such as games.
Sega involvement
Sega began taking an interest in mobile gaming in 2000, as part of trends set by numerous video game publishers of the era who wanted to enter what was then an expanding market. The year saw Sega of Japan entered the market in Japan by offering portals for NTT DoCoMo's i-mode service, and Sega of America sign contracts with Motorola with the view of shipping pre-installed games into their phones.
By mid-2002 America had a dedicated division, Sega Mobile tasked with delivering content to the major US phone carriers.
Sega Europe did not involve itself in mobile gaming until a deal was struck with British developer iFone.
With the release of the iPhone and the subsequent Android standard, Sega moved away from contracting third-parties to develop software and established Sega Networks, working on smartphone and tablet software in-house.