Vodafone
Vodafone

Vodafone

Felica TownPocket Project

NTT DoCoMo has teamed up with Urahara.org and TechFirm to launch a new Felica-enabled service called TownPocket in Harajuku. Customers with RFID chip handsets will have access to easy registration for coupon campaigns, contests and prizes at 153 participating stores in the youth-trendy downtown shopping district. The campaign is set to launch on 8 August and organizers are targeting a total of 300 participating locations in the area by the end of September. [Japanese Press Release]

Mobile Music Best Practices from Japan and Korea

While Japan’s music market is second only to the US, with $3.5 bn in CD sales, it ranks first in mobile music in terms of market size, service penetration and sophistication. Japanese record labels have managed a powerful comeback from their failure in the wild, MIDI ring tone-based 2G music market to massive success in the master-rights-based "Chaku-uta" 3G universe. They already own a 20-percent share of Japan’s $1-billion-plus mobile music market. How did they pull off this stunning achievement? The labels identified their core assets in the mobile universe: trust and convenience.

Editor’s Note: Today’s guest Viewpoint is based on "Mobile Music Best Practices from Japan and Korea," a 103-page report recently released by Vectis International. WWJ subscribers login to read the article and receive a special 10% discount coupon!!

Researched and written over a period of several months by Simon Bureau, Managing Director and Editor, and Benjamin Joffe, Japan Market Analyst — two of the saviest mobile industry watchers in Asia — Vectis’ "Mobile Music Best Practices" provides 103 pages of sharp and critical analysis covering mobile music downloading as it has developed in the world’s top two wireless markets. With reference to carriers, content providers, networks, terminals, pricing, marketing and end-user behavior, "Mobile Music" is a must-read for anyone involved in planning and commercializing on-the-go music services anywhere.

Vodafone Japan Recruits Sony Exec.

Vodafone KK, the struggling Japanese unit of the world’s largest mobile company, has recruited an executive from electronics icon Sony known for his ability to read consumer trends. The Sankei Shimbun daily quoted a Sony executive as saying Nozoe, 56, was “the man who knows consumer trends best in Sony”, will become senior executive vice president of Vodafone KK as of September 5 and from October will head the marketing unit dealing with subscribers, Vodafone said late Monday.

Vodafone Announces New 3G Handsets

Vodafone K.K. just announced that, as part of its new 3G lineup, from early August 2005 it will offer the Vodafone 703SH handset by Sharp, the lightest model in its 3G lineup, and from mid-August it will market the Vodafone 903SH handset by Sharp, which features the Japan markets first (as of this announcement) 3.2 megapixel auto focus mobile camera with 2x optical zoom. To coincide with the sale of these new 3G handsets, they will also offer an expanded Chaku-Uta Full® full track music download content service starting mid-August.

Foreign Phones Don't Sell in Japan

When Vodafone Group released a line of 3G mobile phones simultaneously in several major cities around the world, Japan was less than enthralled. The marketing blitz in Japan was also the first test of selling foreign-made handsets like Motorola and Nokia in a country where homemade phones have nearly monopolized the market. By many reports, the foreign handset makers fell flat in Japan, the most advanced cellphone market in the world.

Vodafone K.K. to Offer Japan's First 3G Data Card Roaming Service

Vodafone K.K. announces today that from early September 2005 it will market a new version of its currently available VC701SI Vodafone Connect Card (manufactured by SII) with upgraded firmware*1 to let customers roam on W-CDMA networks overseas at high packet transmission speeds of up to 384kbps for downlinks (on a best effort basis*2). Marking a first in Japan*3, this upgrade will enable customers to enjoy mobile internet access abroad on PCs or PDAs using 3G data cards. The Vodafone Connect Card, which is currently available as the W-CDMA (3G) compatible VC701SI CompactFlash® (Type II) data card terminal, was launched in April 2004 exclusively for data usage in Japan, is popular among individuals and business customers in particular.