Top New Stories
1. Natsuno dreams of not being a telco
2. IM drives demand for other mobile data services
3. i-mode in Bulgaria gets new handset
What's On
The iCF is a Media Partner for the 3rd Annual Mobile Gambling Summit Europe 2007, January 22-23. Read more, and register here.
BEST WISHES to all our readers and subscribers for Xmas and New Year as this will be the last Newsletter for 2006, we'll be resuming our posts on January 14, 2007.
If you're interested in mobile search news, see the latest at Goobile.com
Subscribe to i-Mode Business Strategy
1. Natsuno dreams of not being a telco
The argument between mobile handset convergenists and divergenists is voiced in Business Week Asia where DoCoMo's Takeshi Natsuno, one of the founders of i-mode, says that he is on a mission to create the ultimate, all-purpose, mobile device.
"My dream is to travel abroad with only my phone—no PC, no wallet, no plastic credit cards," he says.
In the long term, says Business Week, Natsuno's grand ideas could help DoCoMo make the transition from a telco to a "lifestyle service provider."
"If we succeed, DoCoMo won't be a telecom company anymore," he says.
Business Week says that packing every possible whiz-bang feature into an ultra-thin, portable, electronic device seems to be the standard business model for cell phone makers "and yet it's hardly the ideal all-in-one gizmo, and some say it never will be".
"There's no single killer application. Some will want games, others music," says Natsuno. "That's why you have to offer as much as possible."
Others differ with Natsuno. Pieter Knook, Microsoft's (MSFT) senior vice-president in charge of mobile and embedded devices. "The single device that does it all will always have a compromise in its capabilities," he says. Researchers at Hewlett-Packard would agree, says the article. "They envision a future in which we rely on a handful of devices that each do one thing well, not an all-in-one solution".
Who's right? Well the only one with a track record in mobile is Natsuno, but they may well all be right in the future.
Post your opinion below
2. IM drives demand for other mobile data services
Is IM a telco's worst enemy, or best friend? In Europe i-mode Content Forum Founder Pascal Lorne has transformed his company Miyowa into the European leader in mobile Instant Messaging , and has attracted investment, and had early support from the Microsoft Emerging Business Team.
ZDNet Asia reported that in September this year, Singapore DoCoMo alliance partner StarHub partnered with Microsoft to offer the Windows Live Messenger service for i-mode subscribers. For a flat fee of S$5.25 (US$3.40) per month, users can send IM messages using their existing Windows Live Messenger accounts with their handsets.
Goh Li Li, StarHub's assistant vice president of mobile services, declined to reveal subscriber numbers for its i-mode IM service, citing competitive reasons.
"We can say that customer response to our Windows Live Messenger service on i-mode has been within our expectations," she said, noting that StarHub is looking to offer similar services to non-i-mode users, as part of plans to drive consumer demand for mobile data services.
Neither does StarHub see IM as a competitive threat to SMS revenues, says ZDNet.
According to Goh, the company treats IM as part of the overall mobile data market, which includes other applications and content like SMS/MMS (multimedia messaging service), e-mail, Internet access, news, music and TV. "Now that SMS and mobile e-mail have gained wider acceptance, we believe [IM] will help drive the demand for other mobile data services," she said.
Clearly the leading and progressive operators can see IM as a key to future success with the youth market, not a threat.
^^Back to top
3 Reasons why you should Join the i-mode Content Forum
Check our Aims & Objectives HERE
3. i-mode in Bulgaria gets new handset
Lack of handset choice has plagued international i-mode launches and its good news that Bulgarian i-mode partner Globul has launched the new LG L343i i-mode tri-band handset, with dual colour screens, camera, polyphonic ringtones and Bluetooth connectivity.
4. Napster brings music to ears of i-mode in Ireland
Following its launch in Japan with DoCoMo, Napster and O2 Ireland launched Napster Mobile on 3G i-mode.
O2 Ireland became the first mobile operator in Europe to offer Napster via phones. Interestingly Ericsson will host and manage the operation of the service for O2 Ireland under a managed services agreement.
"The Napster brand is instantly recognisable as one of the world’s biggest music brands with 2.2 million tracks available immediately for our i-mode customers," said Gerry McQuaid, commercial director, O2 Ireland.
5. WIND launches Mobile Discovery
Italian i-mode alliance partner WIND launched "Mobile Discovery" a new i-mode service for the Discovery Channel.
WIND's intentions for i-mode have been hard to find from the outside, although in recent months has been active in promoting the i-mode option, and in adding new content.
The Mobile Discovery service is located in the category “Loghi and Immagini”,with a cost of €2 per month.
END |
|
Is there an i-mode project or news that you think we should feature? Email tips@imodestrategy.com. Thanks! | |
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) . | Pascal | Email Pascal | Call (France) . | Subscribe to i-Mode Strategy.
| 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, and VP Asia-Pacific Walter Adamson. See our Aims and Objectives. |
Globul has a new logo.
"GLOBUL changed their logo in June 2006 to unify it with the COSMOTE logo."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globul
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Globul-new-logo.gif
http://www.globul.bg/eng/
Posted by: Dimitar Vesselinov | December 17, 2006 at 03:51 AM