btw : I work as a management consultant at Strand Consult
> "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. "
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> 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."
I-mode id from my perspective not the right "white horse"!
The problem with I-mode is that DoCoMo has developed a "walled garden" =
for content providers, where only a few of them is accepted to use the =
I-mode billing system. In other words - It's easier for Bin Laden to get =
into Heaven, that it is for content providers to get their i-mode sites =
approved as an "official i-mode site" :-)
I-mode should be compared to Premium SMS/WAP serviced developed by more =
and more European mobile operators, where ALL potential content =
providers can develop and (very importantly) market their services, and =
get a revenue share on it!=20
So instead that trying to copy i-mode in Europe, the European mobile =
operators must instead improve their existing revenue models for premium =
SMS-services, and implement new revenue sharing models for premium =
WAP-services.
And i-mode is not only a "failure" from the content providers point of =
view, but also from the operators. Several European mobiel operators are =
already getting a larger percentage of their APRU from non-voice =
services (WAP/SMS) than DoCoMo is getting from I-mode....Norway, =
Germany, Finland - is just some examples !!!=20
btw. you can read more about the report at http://www.reversebilling.com
=20
Kind regards,
Nicolaj Nielsen
www.strandconsult.com
www.strandreports.com
=20
> 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."
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> 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.
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> 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.
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> 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 >>
>=20
>=20
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> This mail was sent to address nhn@strandconsult.dk
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Received on Fri Dec 21 15:54:12 2001