Imode Phones

Imode is one of the most fascinating initiatives the mobile world has seen so far. NTT DoCoMo in Japan created the Imode service by first defining the entire architecture and functionality in the device and then delivering the specification to a number of device manufacturers. NTT DoCoMo went on to assume responsibility for the launch of the services, including a payment model in which they, as operator, take 9 percent of the revenue. By providing the content providers with a business model, NTT DoCoMo created
all the necessary components for the success. In this case, one operator on the market single-handedly decided how an entire concept should work, thereby eliminating many of the problems that usually stem from a lack of standards for mobile services. This differs significantly from how operators have acted in Europe and the United States, which can partly be explained by the fact that these markets are more fragmented than Japan’s. Fragmentation—less market share per operator—makes it more difficult to establish a proprietary standard.

The functionality in the first version of Imode was not very impressive. It offered relatively low bandwidth (speed) for sending images and ring tones. Imode nevertheless became a success, mainly because the services it provided found a user group that was prepared to pay for them. That user group was the youth market, teenagers between 12 and 25, which explains the focus on entertainment, horoscopes, and similar content. We will, in coming versions, see services that have much better functionality and bandwidth.

Imode is now launching its next generation of services, which builds on downloadable Java applications that enable more complex functionality. We describe how this works in detail in the next section. The key finding from the Imode example is the need for a strong process owner in situations where a technology lacks established standards.

Taken From : Enterprise Guide to Gaining Business Value from Mobile Technologies

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