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GeoVector and NEC Team Up

GeoVector has announced a partnership with NEC to enable Japanese mobile content providers to offer information for end users to simply point their mobile phones at a building, retailer, restaurant, hotel or billboard advertisement. Just like using a mouse to click on your computer screen to retrieve information, now mobile phone users in Japan can Click on the Real World using their mobile phone, aided by GPS and a built-in compass. GeoVector’s technology makes a variety of innovative content-based applications and M-commerce transactions possible.

Mobile Phone Adoption Rates in Japan

Research and Markets have announced the new Wireless World Forum report: Japan Mobile Market 2006 – Your Statistical Guide To Understanding The Mobile Opportunities in Japan 2006-2007. Stating that data from the “Japan Mobile Market” statistical handbook shows that future growth in the Japanese mobile market will be centred on the under 14s and over 55s as 100% penetration is reached in all other age groups. Penetration in the 5-9 year-old age group will more than double from 29% in 2004 to reach 64% in 2007 but the largest number of new subscribers in 2006 will come from the 55-65 age group, with 1.62 million new customers.

KDDI's Competitive Edge in Japan

Over the past 12 to 18 months the mobile division of KDDI, known here as ‘au,’ has been leading the way in Japan’s cellular marketplace. During a recent interview at the 3G World Forum, one European visitor asked the seemingly obvious question, “What is the main reason for their success?” KDDI au's Competitive Edge in Japan by Mobikyo KK

The reasonable answer is that it’s actually a combination of several factors, but one thing stands out. Compared to the NTT DoCoMo and Vodafone business models, au has a very tight focus on the domestic market. Their attention to detail in customer service and product offerings is not challenged by how the product mix and content offerings might fit into the company’s global strategy — and it shows. This has allowed au to take the lead in areas like GPS, flat-rate data and faster networks, all provided to the consumer on affordable price plans. The carrier now offers a full suite of popular and useful services ranging from Navitime, EZ auctions, EZ book, EZ channel, EZ games, and EZ FM to (recently introduced) mobile IM (‘Hello Messenger’), mobile blogging (‘DuoBlog’) and Lismo.

Looking again at au’s recent blitz of cutting-edge models at Designing Studio last week, just in time for Japan’s peak spring sales season, we were truly impressed; it will be a tough choice for shoppers. The phones and services strongly illustrate one of the most fundamental and important learnings about Japan’s mobile success that we’ve been trumpeting for years.

Info Plant's Paid Mobile Site Survey

Online market researcher Info Plant has announced the results of a survey of 6,366 men and women on how people use paid mobile sites. The company conducted the survey from December 23 to January 3. When asked about how many paid sites they have used, 24.8% of the respondents answered “one”, followed by “two” (17.8%) and “three” (16.2%). By gender, more women than men have paid for mobile sites (80.0% vs. 74.6%). By age, about 80% of the men in their 20s and the women in their 20s to 40s have paid for a mobile site.

3-D Avatars for Video Chat

Video-conferencing handsets are taking off, but what about those who shirk the spotlight? Engineers think animated 3-D avatars [.jpg image] may be the answer. “Think of when you’re having a bad hair day,” quips Mike Danielsen of Motorola Labs when asked why he has spent two years developing 3-D animated avatars that can mime a live user’s speech and actions on mobile-phone handsets. Motorola already has phone avatars available in China and Japan, but “they’re highly cartoony,” says Danielson. International competitors include Japan’s Oki Electric Industry, which has developed the FaceCommunicator application for PCs and mobile phones to generate both two- and three-dimensional animated avatars using motion- and voice-tracking as well as key commands.

Info Plant Mobile Users Survey

Online market researcher Info Plant has released the results of a survey on cell-phone functions and services. The company conducted a survey of 7,905 NTT DoCoMo i-mode users nationwide, 12-23 December 2005. When asked which functions and services they usually use that are available on their handsets, 85.4 percent of respondents answered “alarm,” followed by 83.3 percent for “camera (for still images)” and 81.6 percent for “ring tone.” When asked which functions and services they wish to have, the top favorite was “TV,” followed by “GPS navigation” and “pass/ticket for train and bus;” “key,” “ID card,” and “anti-crime buzzer,” were among the top 10 answers.