(keitai-l) Re: Japanese Net penetration

My recent experience in introducing i-mode to 50 visitor from Ireland to
Japan does not support the argument that Europeans, because of their early
acceptance of PCs, failed to adjust to the small screens and lack of colour
etc offered by WAP.  My fifty visitors were part of a trade mission to
Japan, most from the IT sector, with experience in landline internet and
mobile (WAP) internet usage.  They were facinated by the i-mode service and
made extensive use of the the i-mode site we created for the visit. (With
great help from Nooper.com)

The site contained schedule infomation, phone directories, Irish news feeds,
currency calculator, time zone detail, a photo file - St Patrick's Day
Parade in Tokyo - and beer coupons! (And the beer did not impare usage)

The group did not find the small screens to be a problem; useful content and
ease of use overcame any perceived difficulties.  WAP services are woefully
lacking in both of these areas and that is partly why WAP is not successful
in Europe.  Early familiarity with deck top PCs is not a deterrent to
acceptance of mobile internet - not to the Irish, in my experience.

Declan Collins


-----Original Message-----
From: Joran Roslund [mailto:joran_roslund@hotmail.com]
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2001 3:29 PM
To: keitai-l@appelsiini.net
Subject: (keitai-l) Re: Japanese Net penetration


>I had an argument with an obnoxious sales rep from Nokia at a tradeshow 
>here in Sydney recently who argued that mobile Internet is a success in 
>Japan only because fixed-line penetration is sooooo low.
>

I think that if you turn that statement around, it's true. WAP is such a 
failure in Europe because fixed-line Internet penetration is so high here. 
Most people started using computers in the latter part of the 1990s and are 
accustomed to large screens, colours, animations and sounds. When they use 
WAP for the first time, it's a huge disappointment. It's like being back in 
the VT100 days, but for people who have no experience of VT100. Most people 
in Japan had no point of reference when i-mode started in 1999.

Joran



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