Hi,
> The kind of stuff you'd expect to find on a newssite called wap.com...
>
> http://www.wap.com/share/osas/cache/artid551383.html
actually, the first paragraph of the article says:
"A new report by Strand Consult concludes that DoCoMo's i-mode is not
the success many claim it to be, and rather than trying to adopt i-mode
into Europe, European operators should instead concentrate on making it
attractive to content providers to develop, and market quality content
and services. "
To me, the second sentence of this article is exactly what i-mode is
about in many ways: "make it attractive for content providers to develop
and market content quality and services". Therefore, the article sounds
to me like: "You don't need to get this white horse! All you really need
is a white horse."
However, it would be too quick to dismiss the original report on which
this article is based, as it might have been quoted wrongly in the
article.
According to another source
(http://allnetdevices.com/wireless/news/2001/12/20/report_europe.html),
"the report draws the analogy that bringing i-mode to Europe is like
importing a Japanese car to a place with no roads." [and goes on with:]
"Specifically, the report calls on the European mobile operators to
develop business models that do a better job of integrating operators,
content providers, media companies and users. The report also says that
better pricing schemes are necessary before any content-over-wireless
will succeed."
Both an integrated business model and a well balanced pricing scheme are
absolutely necessary, whether in Europe, the States or anywhere else. I
would agree with the authors in that unless operators are able to create
a healthy eco-system with clear benefits for all players in the mobile
value chain, mobile Internet is unlikely to take off.
But then again, this is what i-mode has showed for almost three years
now -- and honestly, the "European car", and the roads it would drive
on, could even be made better than the Japanese model, by learning from
the successes and failures of the Japanese market experience.
Cheers,
Andrea
--
Andrea Hoffmann - Associate Consultant - EGIS Japan
Mail: info_at_egis.co.jp WWW: http://egisjapan.com
Phone: (81) 3.32.64.10.60 - Fax: (81) 3.32.65.22.60
>> International Consulting & Project Management >>
Received on Fri Dec 21 15:08:10 2001