Attached please find joint press release titled:
"Coca-Cola Japan, NTT DoCoMo, Itochu Agree to
Test New Service That Links i-mode with Vending Machines"
Best regards,
For Immediate Release
Coca-Cola Japan, NTT DoCoMo, Itochu Agree to Test New Service
That Links i-mode with Vending Machines
TOKYO, JAPAN, March 28, 2001---Coca-Cola (Japan) Co., Ltd., NTT DoCoMo,
Inc.
and Itochu Corp. have reached an agreement to jointly test a new
consumer
service that
links Coca-Cola group vending machines with NTT DoCoMo's i-mode service.
The
provisional name of the joint trial is "i-vending Project."
The three parties have been working together since September 2000 when
they
signed a
memorandum of understanding to brainstorm potential content for the new
service.
The aim of the field trial is to determine the commercial feasibility of
linking vending
machines with i-mode mobile phones. During the trial period, consumers
will
be able to
purchase products from special "i-vending Machines" on a cashless basis
using their
i-mode handsets. In addition, messages and advertisements will be
displayed
on i-mode
handsets and users will receive points, which they can redeem for
purchases.
The parties will conduct the trial in metropolitan Tokyo this summer.
(Please refer to attachment for further details regarding trial.)
Attachment
Outline of "i-vending Project" (provisional name) Trial
1. Primary components of the trial
a. Advanced Payment Service
The user accesses i-mode's dedicated website and signs up for the
service.
The "i-vending
machine" then verifies the user's identity, after which the user can
insert funds into any
"i-vending machine" for subsequent cashless purchases.
b. Cashless Shopping
Soft drinks and a variety of services can be purchased with prepaid
funds.
This can be done
after the user's ID is verified by the “i-vending machine”.
c. Point Service
Points are earned by making purchases on compatible vending machines,
and
these points
can be exchanged for special merchandise including soft drinks.
d. Advertising and local information delivery service
Various types of advertising and local information can be delivered via
displays and
printers installed on compatible vending machines.
2. Time Period and Area of Trial
Scheduled to start within metropolitan Tokyo area this summer.
3. The separate business roles for and corporate overview of each
participating company
Coca-Cola (Japan) Co., Ltd.
The company will provide Coca-Cola and other brand soft drinks as well
as
vending
machine business expertise with a nationwide network of approximately 1
million vending
machines. It will also develop logistics and information systems.
NTT DoCoMo, Inc.
The mobile communications carrier will provide its communications
network
and technical
and marketing expertise. It will also provide its expertise related to
managing service
content.
Itochu Corp.
Itochu will construct an alliance related to the development of
technology
and service
content. It also will provide support for the portion of the commercial
feasibility study,
which deals with market development as well as system development and
operation.
4. For further information, please contact:
The i-vending Project (provisional name) business office
Aerospace, Electronics, and Multimedia Company
Information Industry Business Department
Itochu Corp.
Kita-aoyama 2-5-1
Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8077
Tel: 03-3497-3535 Fax: 03-3497-4181
Email: i-vending@aemc.itochu.co.jp
Reference
Outline of participating companies
Coca-Cola (Japan) Co., Ltd.
Address:6-3 Shibuya 4-chome, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Founded: June 1957
Capital: 3,600 million-yen (As of December 2000)
No. of employees: 500 (As of May 2000)
Corporate representative: Mary E. Minnick, President
NTT DoCoMo, Inc.
Address: 11-1, Nagatacho 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Founded: August 1991
Capital: 949,679 million-yen (As of February 2001)
No. of employees: 4,799 (As of March 2000)
Corporate representative: Dr. Keiji Tachikawa, President
Itochu Corp.
Address: 5-1, Kita-Aoyama 2-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Founded: December 1949
Capital: 174,722 million-yen (As of September 2000)
No. of employees: 5,254 (As of April 2000)
Corporate representative: Uichiro Niwa, President and CEO
About Coca-Cola (Japan) Co., Ltd.
Coca-Cola (Japan) Co., Ltd. was established in 1957 as the Japanese
subsidiary of The
Coca-Cola Company (headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia). The Coca-Cola system
conducts
manufacturing and sales activities that closely meet local and regional
needs, and reflects a
strong orientation toward the consumer, a comprehensive marketing
strategy,
and strict
quality control. All these elements combine to create a revolutionary
structure that has
transformed the soft drink industry in Japan. In close cooperation with
Coca-Cola bottlers
throughout the country, we continue to provide Japanese consumers with a
wide variety of
products as the industry's leader.
About NTT DoCoMo, Inc.
NTT DoCoMo is Japan's largest mobile communications operator, with over
34
million
subscribers. It had consolidated operating revenue of 3.7 trillion yen
(approximately
US$34.7 billion) in fiscal 1999 (year ended 31 March 2000). In February
1999
NTT
DoCoMo launched its i-mode service, which provides continuous connection
with the
Internet via mobile phones. The number of subscribers to the service
exceeded 21 million
by February 2001. NTT DoCoMo plans to introduce third-generation mobile
communications services based on its W-CDMA system in May 2001.
About ITOCHU Corporation
ITOCHU Corporation (www.itochu.co.jp), is one of Japan's leading trading
companies
with annual sales exceeding 12.1 trillion yen (approx. US$114 billion).
Currently ranked
10th in Fortune Magazine's Global 500 list, ITOCHU Corporation has over
800
subsidiaries
and associated companies worldwide and is engaged in a wide variety of
businesses,
including information technologies, finance, textiles, construction,
chemicals, real estate,
aerospace, machinery, energy and food products.
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Received on Thu Mar 29 01:22:08 2001