I feel that all this aruguing about WAP vs imode misses the point.
EZ-Web as far as I can discern uses a flavour of WAP (Please correct me if I
am wrong) and it has certainly demonstrated that a WAP-based service can
attract over 3 million users within 18 months or so. Its been relatively
successful despite little marketing, a poor choice of phones (a critical
factor to success in Japan no doubt), not much content etc (all these faults
are rapidly being remedied now!)
GPRS was the distinct advantage that i-mode had originally, after EZweb and
Jsky changed their offerings to packet based services they became much more
popular. In Europe now operators are beginning GPRS services.
My company has carried out some proprietary research into WAP in Europe and
imode in Japan. I can share some results here as they might be of interest
to some readers of this mailing list.
In Japan we are finding two distinct usage segments:
One is youth and female focused, entertainment and communication (human
interaction) driven and the usage is characterised by long session times.
These people are using it as a media.
The other segment is much more task orientated, male and older, usage is
characterised by short sharp bursts, numerous short sessions. These users
are in search of micro-moments of utility and are using the mobile Internet
not as a media but a tool. The mobile Internet in Japan was originally
youth centred but men in their 30s and 40s are now a rapidly growing
segment.
In Europe we find that users are mainly the latter, utility seekers, and
business or specific task orientated. Very male dominated (unlike Japanese
mobile Internet that is Female from the ground up!). When you think about
how the mobile Internet is charged for in Europe as opposed to Japan you can
see why people would tend to short sharp and clearly defined tasks, you
would not lose out so much even if you were paying by the minute. One
reason why imode can be used as a media is that you are not penalised in
taking your time to read the thing, therefore you could relax with a coffee
and read some information or do something without the thought that every
second I am being charged. When you consider that is the case usually with
the fixed line Internet in Japan that also becomes a very compelling reason
to use it.
Sorry I think I drifted away from the main point and this got a bit
unstructured.
Regards
Jamie Cattell
-----Original Message-----
From: Gustaf Rosell [mailto:gustaf@xpedio.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2001 8:15 PM
To: keitai-l@appelsiini.net
Subject: (keitai-l) Re: How is it to see it the very first time?
At 07:14 2001-01-16 +0000, you wrote:
>Joran's point is very valid. One of the main differences (as we've touched
>on time and time again in this list) between Japan and the rest of the
world
>is the customer focus. Apart from color (arriving in WAP as well) there
>isn't really that much difference technologically between I-Mode and WAP
>(Yes I know that there are some, but in reality not enough to create a
>substantial difference).
I do not agree at all. The important thing about the complete technical
system is that it is good enough for people to start to use and get
something that may be called an experience. The same level is just not yet
reached in the western world. In my point of view, there are important
technical differences which are necessary:
- the packet network
- ease of development of sites for low end systems (HTML etc.)
- ease of development of high end sites (links to backend structures)
- GIF images (possible in WAP with extensions, OK), esp. w. colour, JPG
would be nice...
- email with emoji rather than SMS/Short mail
- marvelous handsets
- an OK billing system (could be a lot better)
Except for that there are of course all the market related aspects, where
the fashion statement probably is the most important.
We may have all the same services (which is not completely true) in the
western world. But if don't have at least some of the technical level as
mentioned above, mobile Internet will just not happen. At least, that is
what I think.
The question is when that may happen? It takes too much time now, and too
much focus is on 3G and when or if that may happen.
/gustaf
>In Japan the focus has always been on the users,
>and in Europe the assumption was that the technology would create a market
>by itself. The results speak for themselves.
>
>Kristian
>
> -----Original Message-----
>From: J?an Roslund (EMW) [mailto:Joran.Roslund@emw.ericsson.se]
>Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2001 10:56
>To: 'keitai-l@appelsiini.net'
>Subject: (keitai-l) Re: How is it to see it the very first time?
>
>Hi,
>
>The advantages of i-mode you mention in these examples, aren't they merely
>an
>expression for the superb customer focus in Japan, rather than an inherent
>strength
>of i-mode?
>
> > > I think Tsutaya's site is incredible. It's got the latest
> > info on top music and
> > > rental videos/dvds, including the ability to sample top
> > songs, save as
> > > ringtones, get e-coupons for rentals, check official tour
> > info...a very
> > > comprehensive video/music entertainment site.
> > >
> > > r e n
> >
> > Definitely agree with Ren. Another example is the weather
> > site: you can pin-point
> > weather at precise location, check out the ski resort
> > conditions (which worked
> > great last Sunday when we went to Yuzawa), you can look at
> > the satellite
> > weather picture, get a week's forecast, get typhoon maps and
> > projections,
> > find out what the weather in Stockholm and New York is, see
> > where to surf,
> > check how much the ski pass costs and when the ski lifts open
> > and close,
> > etc etc
> >
> > Here is a question to those Europeans who find imode similar to what's
> > on offer
> > on WAP in Europe: please let me know which WAP service on a european
> > cell phone
> > shows me the up-to-date satelite weather image in color and
> > pretty nice resolution
> > AND tells me all the details of snow conditions in all the
> > ski resorts etc...
> >
> > By the way, in a recent conference which REN also attended,
> > one of the European
> > participants mentioned weather services as one of those
> > boring things nobody
> > wants... oh-boy what does he/she know...
> >
>
>He's right. In Gothenburg where I live it always rains, so there's no
>need to check the forecast. :-)
>
>
>Joran
>
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>
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Received on Wed Jan 17 03:29:41 2001