i-mode Business Strategy

Telstra begins i-mode hard launch with $5m advertising blitz

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Telstra today commenced the hard launch of i-mode, following the soft launch on November 1.  The number of stores set for launch is 180 Telstra stores plus 220+ resellers, and according to the press the launch is backed by a $5m advertising budget over three months.

On offer to consumers are 200 mainly entertainment sites, with 5 handsets from "NEC, Sagem and Sanyo", according to The Australian.

As one report commented: "This is Telstra's third attempt at launching mobile data services (Telstra has about 46 per cent of the $11 billion a year market). In December 1999, Telstra along with its rivals launched WAP which was a resounding flop. Then, in March 2003, Telstra spent as much as $30 million on its Loop service which was planned as a spoiler to Hutchison Telecommunications' 3G launch the following month – but this too failed, attracting fewer than 50,000 users before being axed last year."

Telstra intends to retain its WAP service, which has now been upgraded and improved, although it says that the lessons learnt from i-mode will be transferred to its WAP business model, and that i-mode will "set the benchmark" for mobile content services.

- see this report of the launch in The Australian.

Telstra starts i-mode TV campaign

Telstra started its Australian TV advertising tonight February 27th, featuring i-mode, ahead of the full launch next week when it expects to have over 400 stores trained in i-mode sales.

| 05.02.27 | Weekly i-mode Business Newsletter

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This Weekly Newsletter on the i-mode business ecosystem is bought to you the i-mode Content Forum (iCF) the world's largest and most active i-mode content trade association. President Pascal Lorne, VP Europe Axel Dreyfus, and VP Asia Pacific Walter Adamson.  See our Aims and Objectives.

Top Stories

Suica smarts cards to integrate into i-mode handsets

Tomi comments on our BIG 5 predictions for 2005 and calls i-mode the "shining example"

Which i-mode handsets will emerge in Australia?

Far Eastone expects to grow faster than market

Batteries get a boost

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1. Suica smarts cards to integrate into i-mode handsets

East Japan Railway Company (JR East), DoCoMo, and Sony Corporation announced that they will offer a new service combining DoCoMo's i-mode® FeliCa® smart-card handset and Suica, JR East's smart-card train ticket, from January 2006.

The Mobile Suica® service will enable i-mode FeliCa handsets to be used as Suica cards. A test of the service will begin March 2005 using pilot i-mode FeliCa handsets. Passengers will be able to pass through the ticket gate with the i-mode FeliCa handset.

Until now, more than 10 million Suica cards have been issued. The cards can be used not only to ride trains, but also to make purchases at selected restaurants, convenience stores and other shops inside and outside JR stations.

The significance of the announcement is that the previously released Felica technology is now considered robust and fast and reliable enough to take over from Suica - one of the world's most demanding smart-card applications.  Several million people have to get through ticket gates very fast every day using Suica, and few other systems in the world can cope with this pressure.  Felica is now considered ready, along with i-mode.

DoCoMo's i-mode FeliCa service combines two advanced platforms: DoCoMo's i-mode mobile internet data service and Sony's FeliCa smart-card platform.

As of February 12 more than 2 million i-mode FeliCa handsets have been sold. FeliCa Networks, Inc., a joint venture established by the three companies, will develop IC chips for the Mobile Suica service and service applications.

FeliCa Networks, set up in January 2004, is capitalized at about Y6.5 billion. Sony holds a 57% stake in the joint venture, NTT DoCoMo has a 38% stake and East Japan Railway Co. holds 5%.

At its launch in January 2006, Mobile Suica customers, in addition to enjoying all current Suica features, are expected to be able to use their handsets to do the following:

• recharge the stored fare and;
• purchase commuter passes anytime and anywhere;
• check the balance of stored fare usage on the screen of the handsets.

JR East is also considering offering the following Mobile Suica services after the launch:

• online shopping with Suica electronic money by the second half of fiscal 2006; and,
• purchase of reserved Shinkansen tickets in fiscal 2007.

Last week Vodafone also announced a deal with Felica Networks to embed a smart-card into their handsets.  Vodafone will aim to introduce handsets in Japan with embedded IC chips in October, and ship more than one million such handsets at an early stage, it said. Vodafone has found it difficult to attract new customers due to delays in responding to price competition, releasing new handset models, and expanding network coverage areas and suffered a net loss of 58,700 subscribers in January 2005.

- see the DoCoMo official press announcement.

Comment

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2. Tomi comments on our BIG 5 predictions for 2005 and calls i-mode the "shining example"

We were pleased to see Tomi Ahonen pick up on one of our BIG 5 Predictions for 2005, and also finish his comment with a plug for the i-mode alliance.

Our fifth prediction was to expect a major shift in the industry forces and consumer behaviours when "open" dual-mode handsets start to reach the consumer public, rather than being locked away in corporate walls.  This will have a massive impact on industry competition and structure, and in relation to consumers they will start to cross-play and group and exchange new information in a clustering location-related and presencing behaviour which kind of makes the "community" become the brand.

Tomi remarked that he and his fellow author of their new book Communities Dominate Brands were constantly bumping into the phenomena of the digitally connected and empowered communities, from bloggers to MMOG gamers to of course the mobile phone "smart mobs."

"...very soon community power will overwhelm corporate marketing departments. Advertising, branding etc will no longer be the same.

We see early examples from Kryptonite to Mazda to Verizon etc. And wonderful successes from OhMyNews in Korea to the Boeing design team etc."

The book will be out in March, and there will be previews, excerpts etc at the publisher website at www.futuretext.com and also Tomi's website of course.

"As to i-mode, it is still the shining example for the whole mobile telecoms industry. If the rest of the world would follow the Japanese model closely, they would attract the best content, the best-paying customers, and build a win-win-win system. Lets hope more of the i-mode wisdom will prevail in the world."

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3. Which i-mode handsets will emerge in Australia?

Since Tesltra's Cyrus Allen said that four of the five of the top-tier brands will be represented in the i-mode line-up for Australia the speculation has been running hot.

The top five are Nokia (33.1%), Motorola (15.9%), Samsung (10.6%), LG (7%) and Sony Ericsson (6.3%). Analysts expect about 800 million handsets to be sold globally in 2005.

As we mentioned in last week's newsletter Nokia has a dominate market share in Australia and it would be loath to put that at risk, even for such a small market.  Recent speculation is that Nokia may introduce high-end business-oriented i-mode handsets in Australia.

Motorola just launched its first i-mode handset - the E378i - aimed at consumers.  They are also working with DoCoMo, with DoCoMo's investment, to produce business i-mode handsets for the Japanese market.

Samsung has a range of i-mode handsets, encouraged by Bouygues Telecom in France, and also from France we have Sagem which is now promoting itself heavily in the Australian market.

LG has a handset with Cosmote (the LG341i), and leads global 3G phone shipments (22% of 20 million in 2004).  Sony Ericsson has a range of MOVA i-mode handsets available in Japan.

The biggest surprise will be the entry of Nokia, and the best surprise would be an up-market model from Sony Ericsson.

Comment

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4. Far Eastone expects to grow faster than market

Far EasTone Telecommunications Co Taiwan's No.2 wireless service provider and an i-mode alliance partner, said net income may grow 5% this year due to more stringent cost reductions and synergies following a merger (Far EasTone absorbed KG Telecommunications, previously the local partner to DoCoMo, in a NT$29.7 billion deal in late 2003).

Far EasTone, which has a one-third share of Taiwan's mobile services market, said net income would grow to NT$14.7 billion, or NT$3.79 a share, this year, from NT$14 billion last year.

Revenue will also climb by 5% to NT$68.78 billion, faster than the 2% expansion expected for the overall telecom market here, company president Jan Nilsson told reporters during an annual press gathering.

"Five percent is already respectable growth for stable telecom operators as it is increasingly difficult to count on an expansion in revenue to boost profits in a saturated market like Taiwan," said Stevie Chou a senior analyst with SinoPac Securities Corp.

DoCoMo is providing 3G consulting services to Far Eastone ahead of a 3G rollout this year in which Far Eastone hopes to increase ARPU with the new data services.

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5. Batteries get a boost

Always high on the "most wanted" list of handset improvements is battery life.  Sony said it has developed a hybrid lithium-ion rechargeable battery having 30 percent more capacity per volume than conventional products.

At the same time NTT (the parent of DoCoMo) announced a prototype polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) measuring 42 millimeters by 80 millimeters with a thickness of 13 millimeters and a weight of 104 grams. It allows nine hours of conversations on a mobile phone.

Until now, a different type of fuel cell called DMFC, or a direct-methanol fuel cell, has been attracting attention as a possible alternative to lithium-ion batteries, and several companies have been working to develop that type of cell. But the DMFC, which uses methanol as its fuel, has several problems, such as its emission of carbon dioxide during the electricity generation process and its low power density, which makes it difficult to reduce the cell size.

On the other hand, the PEFC, which uses hydrogen as its fuel, does not emit carbon dioxide and can be made small enough for use in mobile phones while maintaining sufficient levels of power, NTT said.

At this same time, the Wall Street Journal is reporting [paid subscription req.] that Nokia has killed its fuel cell battery project.

END

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Independent audits, analysis, project reviews and i-mode strategy business advice, seminars and round tables, conference chair and speaking, magazine articles and press comment - to discuss these and other opportunities, please call or email. | Walter | Email Walter | Call (Australia) +61 403 345 632. | Pascal | Email Pascal | Call (France) +33 670 765 643. | Subscribe to i-Mode Strategy.

iCF Members save 10% at Mobile Content World

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Today the i-mode Content Forum signed with Mobile Content World to provide members with a 10% savings at the first ever Sydney mobile content world conference - "where mobile & content meet".

Mobile Content World for iCF Members 10% discount for Members Sign Up Mail iCF 6th Annual Conference and Exhibition, 13–15 September 2005 London. MCW Brochure

This brings iCF members a savings of nearly AU$300 off the standard price, enough to pay for hotel accomodation and in these days of cheap airfares enough to fly from other cities in Australia to attend the event in Sydney.

The 2005 conference program features:

• 40+ intelligent, creative and respected speakers from the mobile communications, media and content industries
• 13 contemporary and insightful case studies focused on strategy, partnerships, technology and creative concepts
• 11 international perspectives from Europe, USA and Asia
• 2 action packed days filled with high level discussion, debate and networking activities
• 1 place you need to be to meet with key industry figures, form important business partnerships and make money from mobile content
• 0 excuses for not attending the definitive regional industry event.

Check the MCW website and then email iCF to obtain your discount.

And if you are not a member of the iCF JOIN NOW to obtain your discount.

i-mode the making of Telstra's biggest opportunity

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In an article by Sydney Morning Herald journalist Rob O'Neill, February 22, 2005, titled The Match Maker, he quotes Walter Adamson, VP Asia Pacific of the i-mode Content Forum:

Walter Adamson says Telstra's i-mode mobile content network could be the making of the company.

Adamson is subdued. He has just returned from Mobile Monday (MoMo), a networking event for mobile and technology insiders in Tokyo, and picked up a virus along the way.

He was in Tokyo pursuing a development he has described, in contrast to many other analysts, as "the most important move in the Australian wireless market, ever".

He is referring to the roll-out of Telstra's i-mode mobile content network.

While the financial analysts say the launch is negligible in terms of Telstra's overall revenue base, Adamson says it could be the making of the company by, for example, giving it control of over-the-air payments.

Rob's right about the flu and this explains the disappearing Weekly Newsletter as I've not been able to produce it yet this week.

Here's some more from the article:

Although he says some of the big issues - such as management of major projects and delivering usable systems - never change, beneath that there are fundamental shifts.

Mobile networking features in these predictions in the wake of growing availability of low-cost broadband and mobile networks.

Adamson says the largest software development economy in the world is only now starting to tune in to those possibilities as 3G is rolled out in the US. When that massive industry shifts to developing applications for ubiquitous networks, the impetus it will deliver will be immense.

You can read the full article, download the PDF (2 pages).

3G FOMA Subs Hit 10 Million

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DoCoMo's 3G FOMA service has attracted more than 10 million customers. The milestone was reached on February 21, just three and a half years after the service's initial launch, but more importantly on top of huge acceleration of uptake during 2004. (DoCoMo started the FOMA service in October 2001.)

Subscribers passed the nine million level on 20th January, 2005, following on 5 million on July 20, 2004, and four million subscribers at the end of May 2004.

The Japanese operator attributes the customer growth to the introduction of new 3G handsets, as well as its flat-rate packet-data payment plan, which enables users to access advanced applications at low rates.

Just last week at the 3GSM World Congress conference in Cannes, France, company CEO Masao Nakamura told attendees the company would surpass the 10 million 3G subscriber mark in March.

In February, the company developed the lower-cost 700i-series of 3G FOMA handsets, which emphasize style and ease of use while possessing all the basic FOMA functions. The company believes the new series will help boost subscriptions further.

The F700i handset from Fujitsu was availble from February 10, with three more 700i series models - one each from Panasonic, NEC, and Sharp - to go on sale later in the year. The price of the handsets will be set around JPY10,000 (US$95.50) lower than the price of DoCoMo's current 900i handset series.

| 05.02.14 | Weekly i-mode Business Newsletter

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This Weekly Newsletter on the i-mode business ecosystem is bought to you the i-mode Content Forum (iCF) the world's largest and most active i-mode content trade association. President Pascal Lorne, VP Europe Axel Dreyfus, and VP Asia Pacific Walter Adamson.  See our Aims and Objectives.

Top Stories

AU content providers see new revenue from i-mode

Telstra actively reviewing data pricing for i-mode

Is Nokia coming to consumer i-mode?

Vitel Mobile, Nokia settle patent dispute

The beginning of two monster mobile trends

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1. AU content providers see new revenue from i-mode

Speaking at "The i-mode opportunity seminar" in Sydney on February 14th two leading Australian content owners told how they saw new revenue opportunities in Telstra's launch of i-mode.

Jennifer Wilson, Head of Mobile at HWW, said that i-mode provided a new platform to take their syndicated content into new markets with new brands.  Since a lot of their content currently supports other branded and free web outlets, there is little opportunity to charge premium prices.  The subscription model of i-mode, and the psychology of paying for personalised content, was enough incentive to create a series of new brands and new personalisation for i-mode subscribers.

The lead brand created is "YourTime", with a series of subbrands in personalised packages for a subscription of AU$3.95/month, e.g. YourMovies.  This is a whole new revenue stream, achieving good results, stimulated by discussions with Telstra about i-mode.

FairfaxDigital is Australia's leading provider of online news and classifieds websites, including the iconic newspapers in Sydney and Melbourne and the leading financial newspaper.

Jason Barnes, the business development manager of news and content, told the audience that he was "driven by monetization" and that the i-mode business model and platform enabled them to:

• have people pay for content that was currently free, by repositioning and redesigning the content for the mobile audience;
• distribute the news content to a wider geographic reach than the physical newspapers;
• reach a younger audience than the newspapers; and,
• spread the brand into a new subscriber base.

Although the revenue from mobile was expected to remain a small income stream as compared to other sources, its importance was in reaching a new younger audience with different usage patterns for news content.

- the i-mode opportunity seminar was organised by m.Net Corporation and sponsored by the Australian Interactive Multimedia Industry Association.

Comment

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2. Telstra actively reviewing data pricing for i-mode

When Cyrus Allen of Telstra was asked if the current AU$0.022/kbyte data rate was possibly a disincentive to the use of some i-mode services, e.g. video, he said "that we are continually reviewing pricing, and that as we move towards 3G and richer media services our pricing would need to change but would reflect value for money to the users."

He agree that 2.2. cents is not the right price point for video services.

Telstra is actively reviewing the whole balance of data pricing, based upon 3 months usage of i-mode, plus the planned move to 3G later in 2005, and the rise of flat-rate pricing.

It seems like the general idea is that a range of options will be created to suit different usage and to ensure that no-one suffers from the Japanese version of "pa-ke-shi" "packet death".

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3. Is Nokia coming to consumer i-mode?

While DoCoMo has funded Nokia (and Motorola) to develop business-oriented i-mode handsets there has been little evidence of Nokia entering the consumer handset world of i-mode.

Speaking at an Ericsson Developer Day in Sydney, Tesltra's Cyrus Allen said that while the current soft launch period of i-mode only supported 3 handsets that they were planning to have a much wider range of handsets available shortly after the full launch in March.

He said that four of the five of the top-tier brands will be represented.  The open question is whether Nokia will be one of those represented?

While not naming brands for Australia, Allen said that with respect to Nokia in one major market which went to i-mode that they had seen their market share of the carrier's business drop from 45% to 10% because of their non-participation in i-mode.

Globally Nokia has a 31% share of handsets, and more than double that in Australia.  It is a market that Nokia cannot afford to see eroded through lack of participation, particularly when its biggest customers is about to launch a major promotion campaign for the i-mode service.

Maybe we will see a version of the Nokia 6101.  Nokia announced that with the 6101 carriers will be able to customize the phone's user interface, menu and softkeys, wallpapers, screensavers and ringtones, and start up and shut down graphics. Already China Mobile will sell its own version of the phone-dubbed the Nokia 6102 - which features a different color scheme, re-designed covers, key mat and matching antenna design.  This might be the Telstra i-mode Nokia solution?

Comment

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4. Vitel Mobile, Nokia settle patent dispute

Vitelcom, the first European manufacturer of i-mode handsets, and Nokia, announced that they have agreed to settle pending lawsuits between them before the Spanish and German Courts.

The companies have entered into a royalty bearing patent licence agreement covering certain Nokia patents relating to the GSM/GPRS Mobile Communication Standard and the grant of a cross licence to Nokia under Vitelcom patents in the same field.

Vitelcom has R&D centers in Spain, France and India and commercializes its products in more than twenty countries.

This is good news for i-mode because it means that Vitelcom can now really concentrate on producing a low-price i-mode handset, which is needed to accelerate the market penetration in Europe.

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5. The beginning of two monster mobile trends

The first beginning is Microsoft's partnership with phone maker Flextronics to develop a low-cost smart-phone platform on its Windows Mobile software for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) gives Microsoft immediate clout in the mobile devices market.

The move is for more than phones since a lot more devices will come to require "smart phone" features in various forms, and this will serve to dramatically expand Microsoft's mobile presence.

The platform, known as Peabody, is a slimmed down version of Microsoft's existing handset, the SPV, and has the latest Windows software, Bluetooth and a camera installed.

The second beginning of a monster trend, according to The Guardian, is Microsoft and Nokia's cooperation to build better mobile music devices, which it says "looks set to dramatically alter the mobile phone industry."

In mobile music especially it presents a worrying change of direction for the mobile phone operators, which had hoped that downloading tracks would be a real money-spinner.

Nokia has agreed to work with Microsoft's Windows Media Player technology so digital music can be easily played on both PCs and Nokia phones - moving tracks between devices. This means a big stack of CDs can be easily downloaded on to a PC and into a phone.

In its audio player, Microsoft will introduce the open AAC format that shrinks audio files, as well as anti-piracy software from the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA).

However, counter to the Guardian's prediction, Nokia and Loudeye agreed they would start selling a music download service directly to mobile phones that will use the same AAC and OMA technologies.

"We share a common vision with Nokia about the market opportunity for mobile music and the vital role that operators will play in taking these services to consumers around the world, while enhancing the value of their businesses," said Mike Brochu, president and chief executive officer, Loudeye Corp.

- see also where Samsung unveiled the first Linux-based UTMS reference design.

END

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Independent audits, analysis, project reviews and i-mode strategy business advice, seminars and round tables, conference chair and speaking, magazine articles and press comment - to discuss these and other opportunities, please call or email. | Walter | Email Walter | Call (Australia) +61 403 345 632. | Pascal | Email Pascal | Call (France) +33 670 765 643. | Subscribe to i-Mode Strategy.

Doja 2.5 emulator and API have been released in English

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From Neale Rudd of Metawerx, a recent i-mode Content Forum member from Australia:

I was redownloading the Doja 1.5 development kit today and noticed the docomo site has changed. There is now an agreement page to be completed for the English downloads, and the Doja 2.5 emulator and API have been released in English.

We noticed that the new information also includes the Doja 2.5 content developer guide in English, plus information about 3D functionality:

3D graphics functionality has been added as extended functions to the i-mode Java run-time environments for the DoJa2.5oe profile. An overview of the functionality, tools to create content, and the DLL required to emulate these functions in the DoJa 2.5oe emulator can be downloaded from the Hi Corp home page

Hi Corp's Mascot Capsule Toolkit is a utility site for content providers interested in developing 3D content for wireless handsets.  The tools posted at the site are available free of charge.

- for more information from DoCoMo about i-mode technologies see here

- to understand how to build a Doja application for i-mode download this document from www.imode.nl (English, PDF, 11 pages)

| 05.02.07 | Weekly i-mode Business Newsletter

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This Weekly Newsletter on the i-mode business ecosystem is bought to you the i-mode Content Forum (iCF) the world's largest and most active i-mode content trade association. President Pascal Lorne, VP Europe Axel Dreyfus, and VP Asia Pacific Walter Adamson.  See our Aims and Objectives.

Top Stories

iCF kicks off Monday Monday Tokyo for 2005

Mobile EDY users swipe a 20% higher spend

iCF receives sponsorship from Australian research cooperative

Mobile Content Forum and iCF look to cooperation

iCF speaks at Mobile Content World 2005 in Sydney

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1. iCF kicks off Monday Monday Tokyo for 2005

More that 120 people packed into The Pick Cow in trendy Shibuya in Tokyo to pick up on news from Pascal Lorne, President of the i-mode Content Forum (iCF), and to mix with the visiting French delegation organised by Bouygues Telecom. 

Sponsored by iCF, this standing-room only event served to announce the breadth of the Forum in providing an international association to promote i-mode opportunities and education for CPs and others.

The strong presence of established CPs like Cybird and Index was welcome support, and the tribes of mobile start-up guys and gals added to the never-ending freshness in the pursuit of new opportunities in this space.

After Pascal gave his formal presentation on the results of a Japan-Europe focus group study on attitudes and usage of mobiles, we were given a special personal insight into mobile commerce and the EDY card by Norihiko Fujita.  Fujita-san is a Manager in the Network Business Department of bitWallet and is an insightful and comfortable speaker.

Thanks to Lars and Daniel at Wireless Watch Japan and to Nina at HP Bazaar and all the staff at the Pink Cow for helping make the night a success, and a milestone in the development of the iCF.

Comment

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2. Mobile EDY users swipe a 20% higher spend

Fujita-san from bitWallet, speaking at iCF's Mobile Monday Tokyo event, said that their figures showed that mobile users of an integrated EDY smart card (as in Felica) are registering transaction values on average 20% higher than users of stand-alone cards.

He said that bitWallet's official research had not produced any definitive conclusions as to why this should be so.

But he had us moving forward in our seats when he offered to tell us his own personal conclusions about this difference.

Fundamentally his ideas are centered on usability and psychological aspects of mobile smart card usage:

A smart-card card cannot display the amount of remaining credit, yet a user must know and have some idea before entering into a purchasing decision.  Therefore they tend to err on the conservative side rather than have the transaction rejected.  Not only can rejection be a little embarrassing but it is also time-consuming as decisions have to be made about what to accept and reject and maybe even take something back to the shelf.

A smart-card integrated into a phone shows the remaining balance.  A user can not only see the balance but also easily download extra funds.  Thus this ensures comfort and allows larger purchases to be made with confidence and without potential trouble or embarrassment.

Phone users of integrated smart-cards therefore tend to keep the cards loaded up and to not take too much notice of the amount they are buying in quick purchases and to use the card up closer to the available limit.

Anecdotally this gives a convincing explanation of the 20% higher aveage transaction from integrated mobile smart-card users.

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3. iCF receives sponsorship from Australian research cooperative

The Australian Telecommunications Cooperative Research Centre (ATcrc) is supporting the i-mode Content Forum with a direct contribution to help develop its activities in general, and in Australia in particular.

The ATcrc was established to provide a cooperative environment for developing and commercialising the technologies that will drive a new generation of telecommunication.

The decision of the ATcrc is based on the idea that stimulating the content and mobile ecosystem will lead to greater entrepreneurial activity and research activity.  The iCF, with its international channels and contacts, provides a means to enable this kind of stimulation.

Walter Adamson, VP Asia-Pacific of the iCF welcomed the ATcrc's support, "This grant from the ATcrc will allow the iCF to consolidate its position in a growing world alliance of i-mode partners to help stimulate business and ideas from new content providers and developers, as well as established players."

With the support of the ATcrc the iCF will be undertaking extra promotional activities, especially in line with the official launch of i-mode in Australia in March.

Comment

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4. Mobile Content Forum and iCF look to cooperation

Mobile Content Forum Secretary General Kishihara, and the iCF are looking forward to ways to cooperate in the future.

In Tokyo Pascal Lorne, Walter Adamson and Pierre Mustiere, from iCF, met with Mr Kishihara to discuss ways to work together.  The MCF has a membership base of nearly 200, from a wide range of mobile-related companies and suppliers, and the ICF has over 100 i-mode Content Providers and developers as members.

Since the MCF's membership is mainly in Japan, and the iCF's membership is mainly outside Japan, there are complementary benefits to all members from our cooperation.

The iCF offered to support the MCF at 3GSM, since Mr Kishihara is unable to attend, and when Mr Kishihara comes to CeBit and also to Paris later in the year the iCF will help and arrange any cooperative meetings and events.

- see Mobile Content Forum.

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5. iCF speaks at Mobile Content World 2005 in Sydney

Listed as "Asia Pacific's premier mobile content event" Mobile Content World will be held in Sydney from 11-12 May .

Walter Adamson is a guest panelist and the i-mode Content Forum is offering its full support to the MCW, because this event will bring to Australia leading experts from Asia and Europe, and stimulate the local content industry.

The timing for iCF members is excellent, following after the hard launch of Telstra's i-mode service in March.  This gives iCF members a chance to visit Australia to either review the opening performance of i-mode services that they may have in place with Telstra, or to examine the opportunity first hand.

We hope that many iCF members will take advantage of the MCW to come to Austrlia and to meet with local content providers and developers and to promote their own content and services.

- for more see Mobile Content World

END

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Independent audits, analysis, project reviews and i-mode strategy business advice, seminars and round tables, conference chair and speaking, magazine articles and press comment - to discuss these and other opportunities, please call or email. | Walter | Email Walter | Call (Australia) +61 403 345 632. | Pascal | Email Pascal | Call (France) +33 670 765 643. | Subscribe to i-Mode Strategy.

Trip in Tokyo

Walter and I are here in Tokyo with a group of 34 people from Bouygues Telecom and european content providers for a 3 day trip. We will meet Japanese content providers, NTT Docomo and consultants.

Tonight we are having a dinner in a traditional Japanese restaurant. Can you recognize who is the next rock star in Japan ? yes right its Benoit performing a great drum show!

Professor Shin Mizukoshi from Tokyo University is explaining that in Japan, there are mainly 2 sphere of users : the "Intimate, Private" sphere and the "Commercial, Business" sphere.

According to Professor Shin, a third sphere is emerging : the "Public and socializing" sphere.

This 3rd sphere is made of social networking functions, public media expression, welfare, education, regional information, art and play.

I believe that blog are a good representation of this 3rd sphere. Other tools and services such as mobile social networking still are to be invented.

What do you think could be the next services on the 3rd sphere?