(keitai-l) Re: Looking beyond Japan

Hi Andrew,

I am very interested in the billing system you work with.

Some billing models which I've seen discussed are:
1) for the service itself either subscription based (iMode is really this
and not pay per view) by service or for the whole package.  This makes the
transaction somewhat larger and billable once per cycle, but still requires
a subscription not a buy on site concept.

2) normal, boring credit card payments through pseudo-SSL on WaP.  IMode
doesn't have this type of security yet, but with java.....  Great for large
purchases but I think that the model is different for phones.  It costs too
much (too high a percentage)  to charge every time "hello kitty" is
downloaded to someone's phone or a single MP3 is downloaded through a phone
to someone's player, etc.

The model this is good for is more like you're walking with your
significant other past your local <name your favorite store> after the late
movie (maybe midnight).  It's closed, but your SO loves that <name their
favorite thing here> in the window.  Out comes the keitai..   www.spend
your money.com et voila, it gets delivered in the morning....

While this will certainly happen, I think it's much more likely that we're
dealing with small payments so...

3) Micropayment companies like Qpass (there are a million of them) are all
trying to get in this space.   Ideal situation:  Same couple, same date.
1) looked up movie through phone, bought tickets online (payment to qpass),
then downloads the movie reviews - free.  Gets out of movie, looks up for
local restaurant for snack.  Makes reservation through phone (small
kickback for reservation company, through restaurant's qpass account).  On
the way, passes CD shop.  Find's out the new, um, Mozart collection is out.
Say's, "wow! I never knew Red Hot Chili Peppers did classical" I've gotta
download a cut".  Downloads to his Keitai/MP3 player (Qpass account again).
Listens, orders full album sent to his home system (another transaction).

Well, you get the idea.  We can nickel and dime him to death this way, but
it feels like he's paying nothing...... 8^).

The advantage of this concept is that the micropayment companies take a
months worth of transactions and make them one transaction on your credit
card.  They don't do any of the backend work so their costs are low and
they charge very, very, little for their services - yet, you don't have to
prepay for a subscribed service.  It also offloads this cost from the
retailer.

What do you think?

Jason Freedman






keitai-l-bounce@appelsiini.net
07/21/2000 08:55 AM ZE10
Please respond to keitai-l@appelsiini.net

To:   <keitai-l@appelsiini.net>
cc:
Subject:  (keitai-l) Re: Looking beyond Japan


Hi all, it is not only the content delivery standards but really the
limitations in the hardware at present that will not allow such crossover
between iMode and PC-based Internet access.
I think you will find "next-generation" Java-style languages arriving on
the
scene which will make seamless transactions or information transfer across
multiple access devices (PDA, mobile, PC, voice portal) a reality. One of
the technologies we are working with now allows you to span a transaction
across devices in real time so that you could start a purchase, or
participate in an online auction, while leaving the office on your PC, then
move it onto your keitai when you leave the office picking up exactly where
you left off on your PC with no chance of data loss. This new environment
allows you to write an application once and have it display on any device
that can access the internet without rewriting any code. A definite
advantage over writing HTML and then WML for WAP, or even CHTL for iMode. I
can't let you know the name of the company yet as I am under NDA, sorry.
More soon.

What I can comment on is the bottom question of billing which is something
that can be done now!
I work representing a company named MetraTech, based out of Boston, that
makes an XML-based billing engine specifically designed for enhanced
(telco/web/ASP/B2B) services across different platforms. This billing
platform let's you have multiple, even unlimited inputs, into the rating
engine from any protocol in almost any programming language. It then spits
out an online bill which is interactive and updated in real time.

I won't write too much here and bore you to death but if you want more
information on it just let me know.
I am based in Australia but travel to Japan once or twice per month. I will
be moving up there permanently in about 8 weeks.

Thanks

Andrew Sandes
AsiaEntry
Product Marketing Manager
Phone: +61 2 9460 4565
Fax:     +61 2 9460 2815
Mobile:+61 411 325 885
Email: andrew@asiaentry.com




-----Original Message-----
From: keitai-l-bounce@appelsiini.net
[mailto:keitai-l-bounce@appelsiini.net]On Behalf Of Dave
Sent: Friday, July 21, 2000 12:49 AM
To: keitai-l@appelsiini.net
Subject: (keitai-l) Looking beyond Japan

Hey All
        I'm thinking about the future of mobile phone businesses and
content
providers, and I've some purely speculative questions that I would like to
put to the knowledgeable subscribers to this list:
        What are your projections for when content delivery standards for
mobile
phones will be standard enough that one could make a web site for phones
and
have it available to the whole world - just as one can do now with the
"standard" web on computers?
        Does that exist in a small way now? I only have an I-mode phone, so
I'm not
sure if a J-Sky Net or EzWeb phone will be able to see a WAP based site
from
Finland. I know you can make an I-mode site anywhere in the world, and
I-mode phones anywhere will be able to see it, but that's kind of an
academic point since currently I-mode phones are only available in Japan
(and soon Korea?).
        Does anyone have any predictions for what future billing might look
like?
Let's say I have some kind of an XML based site, and so you can see if from
your phone, your computer, your webTV, whatever. It has some services that
you want to bill for. In what way will future businesses be able to charge
for their content so that people from any browser/platform will be billed
uniformly? Will such a thing happen by 2003? 2005? Later?

        Hmmm.. it's late, and I think my mind is going off into odd
directions.
Hopefully these issues are of interest to the others on this list, and we
can get a little discussion going on them. Please look into your individual
crystal balls and share with us what you see.

        Dave