Wednesday, June 04, 2008
It's an entirely different story for the iPhone in Japan than anywhere else...
In a terse one-line press announcement "SoftBank today announced it has signed an agreement with Apple to bring the iPhone to Japan later this year". (Of course we are talking about the 3G i-Phone, because Japan has almost switched off the 2G networks, and has essentially stopped selling 2G phones for a couple of years now. The current initial 2G iPhone uses GSM and therefore cannot work in Japan, which has no GSM).
iPhone's main competitors in Japan will be SHARP and KDDI's design series, at least for the forseeable future - an entirely different story than in any other country in the world... read below.
About 25% of the global cellphone market in terms of cash value is in Japan. - Why? Japanese users want a lot more functions (navigation, mobile payment, QR code, mobile shopping, mobile music and video, mobile TV, ...), and are happy to pay much more per phone. Japan is a totally different game: while NOKIA has about 40% of global market, NOKIA's marketshare in Japan is almost zero.
Competing in Japan will be an entirely different story for the iPhone
Japan's cell phone is entirely different than anywhere else in the world - recently some people including Japanese Government officials have used the nickname "Galapagos islands" for Japan's insular and very advanced cellphone market. Indeed, our company in a project for the European Union Government documented in details how Japan's cellphone services are 3-5 years ahead of Europe's, ie a large range of cellphone services common in Japan have not yet been introduced in Europe.
For this reason, while the current 2G iPhone is at the high priced top-end in the US or in Europe, in Japan the 2G iPhone does not even work, because Japan has no GSM and essentially has not been selling any 2G phones any longer for a couple of years now. Many mobile services, which Japanese phone users have become accustomed to, are missing from the current 2G iPhone. Japan therefore will be a benchmark, and we expect that selling the iPhone in Japan together with Japanese customer feedback will help Apple to dramatically accelerate iPhone development. Competing in Japan will make the iPhone stronger we believe.
iPhone's main competitors in Japan will be SHARP and KDDI's design series, at least for the forseeable future - an entirely different story than in any other country in the world... read below.
About 25% of the global cellphone market in terms of cash value is in Japan. - Why? Japanese users want a lot more functions (navigation, mobile payment, QR code, mobile shopping, mobile music and video, mobile TV, ...), and are happy to pay much more per phone. Japan is a totally different game: while NOKIA has about 40% of global market, NOKIA's marketshare in Japan is almost zero.
Competing in Japan will be an entirely different story for the iPhone
Japan's cell phone is entirely different than anywhere else in the world - recently some people including Japanese Government officials have used the nickname "Galapagos islands" for Japan's insular and very advanced cellphone market. Indeed, our company in a project for the European Union Government documented in details how Japan's cellphone services are 3-5 years ahead of Europe's, ie a large range of cellphone services common in Japan have not yet been introduced in Europe.
For this reason, while the current 2G iPhone is at the high priced top-end in the US or in Europe, in Japan the 2G iPhone does not even work, because Japan has no GSM and essentially has not been selling any 2G phones any longer for a couple of years now. Many mobile services, which Japanese phone users have become accustomed to, are missing from the current 2G iPhone. Japan therefore will be a benchmark, and we expect that selling the iPhone in Japan together with Japanese customer feedback will help Apple to dramatically accelerate iPhone development. Competing in Japan will make the iPhone stronger we believe.
Labels: cellphone, iphone, Japan, nokia
Monday, April 14, 2008
Seminar in London: "M&A in Japan" (Friday 18 April 2008, 12:30-14:30)
Seminar Description:
Two practitioners from Tokyo will debate the changes in Japanese attitudes to mergers and acquisitions. During the course of this seminar, we will cover M&As between Japanese companies, the slow impact of foreign investment into Japan, and the outward investment strategies of Japanese companies.
Speakers:
Dr Gerhard Fasol, President, Eurotechnology Japan KK
David Syrad, Managing Director/Managing Director Asia, A.K.I. Japan Limited
Time and Date: Friday April 18, 2008, Sandwiches: 12:30, Seminar: 13:00-14:30
Location: Daiwa Foundation Japan House, 13/14 Cornwall Terrace, London, NW1 4QP
Price: free of charge
To register: biz @ aptn.org
Organizer contact: Louis Turner Tel. +44 - 790 5204 677
More information: www.aptn.org
Two practitioners from Tokyo will debate the changes in Japanese attitudes to mergers and acquisitions. During the course of this seminar, we will cover M&As between Japanese companies, the slow impact of foreign investment into Japan, and the outward investment strategies of Japanese companies.
Speakers:
Dr Gerhard Fasol, President, Eurotechnology Japan KK
David Syrad, Managing Director/Managing Director Asia, A.K.I. Japan Limited
Time and Date: Friday April 18, 2008, Sandwiches: 12:30, Seminar: 13:00-14:30
Location: Daiwa Foundation Japan House, 13/14 Cornwall Terrace, London, NW1 4QP
Price: free of charge
To register: biz @ aptn.org
Organizer contact: Louis Turner Tel. +44 - 790 5204 677
More information: www.aptn.org
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Market caps of companies in mobile: global vs local
Google, Apple, Nokia, HTC, Vodafone and are winning the driver's seat of the global internet revolution. DoCoMo, KDDI and SoftBank essentially stay inside Japan for now - limiting their growth prospects and leaving global opportunities to others.
GOOGLE with Android and APPLE with iPhone are reaching for the driver's seat of the global mobile data revolution. Global companies including GOOGLE, Vodafone, Apple and NOKIA grow to US$ 100s Billion valuations, while local companies NTT, DoCoMo, KDDI and SoftBank remain essentially limited to Japan's market for now. Smartphone maker HTC increases impact - including in Japan.
GOOGLE with Android and APPLE with iPhone are reaching for the driver's seat of the global mobile data revolution. Global companies including GOOGLE, Vodafone, Apple and NOKIA grow to US$ 100s Billion valuations, while local companies NTT, DoCoMo, KDDI and SoftBank remain essentially limited to Japan's market for now. Smartphone maker HTC increases impact - including in Japan.
Labels: apple, docomo, google, htc, iphone, KDDI, nokia, ntt, softbank
SoftBank and KDDI win market share
SoftBank from 4th to 1st position within less than 12 months... SoftBank's turn-round of x-Vodafone-Japan, went faster than many expected. Within less than 12 months SoftBank went from last place to first place in customer sign-ups, overtaking even KDDI's super-popular AU. Willcom recently suffers from SoftBank's revival, as well as from eMobile's flat rate data services.
Labels: docomo, Japan, KDDI, keitai, mobile phone, ntt, softbank, yahoo keitai
First half FY2008 results: SoftBank and KDDI profits increase, DoCoMo's trends is downward
In the last few days NTT, NTT-DoCoMo, KDDI and SoftBank announced their first half financial results. SoftBank and KDDI are the winners both for market share and for profits, while DoCoMo's results and market shares are sinking, and pulling the NTT-Group down at this time. Extrapolation indicates that DoCoMo's net profits may fall into the red about one year from now, drastic action is taken soon.
The thin lines show linear interpolations of quarterly net profit data. Our extrapolation seems to indicate that DoCoMo's net profit might fall into the red towards then end of calender year 2008 unless drastic action is taken. If current trends continue, SoftBank's net profits might exceed DoCoMo's mid-2008. We expect DoCoMo to take dramatic action before this happens.
The thin lines show linear interpolations of quarterly net profit data. Our extrapolation seems to indicate that DoCoMo's net profit might fall into the red towards then end of calender year 2008 unless drastic action is taken. If current trends continue, SoftBank's net profits might exceed DoCoMo's mid-2008. We expect DoCoMo to take dramatic action before this happens.
Labels: docomo, Japan, KDDI, mobile phone, ntt, number portability, softbank, yahoo keitai
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
SuiPo - linking posters to mobile phones and IC cards
JR-East introduced SuiPo (Suica Poster).
People who want to participate need to register and link their plastic SUICA card, or their mobile SUICA (wallet phone with installed SUICA application) with a registered mobile or PC email address.
Whenever a registered participants touches the SUICA reader/writer on the side of a poster, links to a campaign homepage, coupons, event announcements or other information is sent to the registered PC or mobile phone email address.
The SuiPo system puts interactivity into posters and allows the advertiser to build an opt-in data base of interested people and to interact with them.
More about SUICA: [Download our SUICA report]
People who want to participate need to register and link their plastic SUICA card, or their mobile SUICA (wallet phone with installed SUICA application) with a registered mobile or PC email address.
Whenever a registered participants touches the SUICA reader/writer on the side of a poster, links to a campaign homepage, coupons, event announcements or other information is sent to the registered PC or mobile phone email address.
The SuiPo system puts interactivity into posters and allows the advertiser to build an opt-in data base of interested people and to interact with them.
More about SUICA: [Download our SUICA report]
Labels: felica, mobile phone, mobile suica, rfid, suica, suipo
Monday, April 23, 2007
Nanaco - e-cash and m-cash for Seven-Eleven
This week two of Japan's largest retail chains roll out electronic and mobile cash: Monday April 23rd the Seven & I Holdings Group started "nanaco" and tomorrow, Friday April 27th, 2007, the AEON retail group will start "WAON".
At first sight the massive roll-out of electronic cash and mobile payments systems during March and April this year here in Japan has been smooth and without problems (except for PASMO underestimating the success and running out of cards). However, when we look below the surface, clouds of a competitive storm are brewing. This storm might be followed by consolidation. Here are some examples:
PASMO cards were sold out within the first three weeks, and PASMO is now losing market share (and commission payments) to SUICA day-by-day - PASMO became a victim of it's own success.
7-11's "nanaco" offers twice as much discount as AEON Group's "WAON". Clearly "nanaco" is on a more aggressive course than "WAON". We expect competition to heat up.
Slashdot It!
At first sight the massive roll-out of electronic cash and mobile payments systems during March and April this year here in Japan has been smooth and without problems (except for PASMO underestimating the success and running out of cards). However, when we look below the surface, clouds of a competitive storm are brewing. This storm might be followed by consolidation. Here are some examples:
PASMO cards were sold out within the first three weeks, and PASMO is now losing market share (and commission payments) to SUICA day-by-day - PASMO became a victim of it's own success.
7-11's "nanaco" offers twice as much discount as AEON Group's "WAON". Clearly "nanaco" is on a more aggressive course than "WAON". We expect competition to heat up.
Slashdot It! Labels: e-cash, ecash, m-cash, mcash, mobile payment, nanaco, pasmo, seven eleven, suica, wallet-phone, walletphone, waon
Monday, March 19, 2007
eMobile - mobile disruption in Japan
On March 31, 2007 eMobile will start high-speed (3.6 Mbps, HSDPA) mobile data services in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, bringing disruption into the mobile data market in Japan.
While Willcom offers a flat data rate of YEN 9000 (US$ 77) per month for unlimited data transmission at 128kbps, eMobile will offer 30 times higher speed at about 1/2 the price:
3.6Mbps for PDAs, laptops and PCs for YEN 4980 (US$ 43, EURO 32) per month flat rate without any data limit (and n.b. no "fair use limit" as many European operators impose in the fine-print). .... and yes- you can probably also do wireless VOIP or Skype if you set this up yourself.
The established mobile operators (DoCoMo, KDDI/AU and SoftBank) do not offer any flat data rate to connecting PCs and laptops.
eMobile offers the EM-ONE terminal:
- data download at 3.6 Mbps (wCDMA-HSDPA)
- wLAN (IEEE 802.11b/g)
- Windows mobile 5.0
- digital mobile TV
- 4.1inch VGA (800 x 480) LCD display by SHARP
- camera (with QR-Code reader etc)
(By the way- did you ever wonder why new entrants love flat rates? it's because telecom billing systems are so expensive and complex. Flat rates are one of many competitive weapons new entrants have over incumbents...)
Slashdot It!
While Willcom offers a flat data rate of YEN 9000 (US$ 77) per month for unlimited data transmission at 128kbps, eMobile will offer 30 times higher speed at about 1/2 the price:
3.6Mbps for PDAs, laptops and PCs for YEN 4980 (US$ 43, EURO 32) per month flat rate without any data limit (and n.b. no "fair use limit" as many European operators impose in the fine-print). .... and yes- you can probably also do wireless VOIP or Skype if you set this up yourself.
The established mobile operators (DoCoMo, KDDI/AU and SoftBank) do not offer any flat data rate to connecting PCs and laptops.
eMobile offers the EM-ONE terminal:
- data download at 3.6 Mbps (wCDMA-HSDPA)
- wLAN (IEEE 802.11b/g)
- Windows mobile 5.0
- digital mobile TV
- 4.1inch VGA (800 x 480) LCD display by SHARP
- camera (with QR-Code reader etc)
(By the way- did you ever wonder why new entrants love flat rates? it's because telecom billing systems are so expensive and complex. Flat rates are one of many competitive weapons new entrants have over incumbents...)
Slashdot It! Labels: 3g, eaccess, emobile, hsdpa, hspda, voip, wimax
Sunday, March 18, 2007
PASMO: IC cards for transport
On Sunday, March 18, 2007, about 100 transportation companies in the Tokyo region switched to the near-field electronic money and payment system PASMO. Electronic money is a new battle field which JR-East pioneered with SUICA. 7 & I is still to throw it's weight into the battle - read about today's status of the electronic money marketplace in our "Mobile Payment and Keitai Credit" report.
A new multi-billion dollar power? Here is the character for PASMO: with an antenna on the hat, a pocket on the chest to store PASMO away, and wheels on the shoes, and in cherry-blossom pink... Does this cherry-blossom-pink guy look like he represents a new US$ multi-billion economic power?
Slashdot It!
A new multi-billion dollar power? Here is the character for PASMO: with an antenna on the hat, a pocket on the chest to store PASMO away, and wheels on the shoes, and in cherry-blossom pink... Does this cherry-blossom-pink guy look like he represents a new US$ multi-billion economic power?
Slashdot It! Labels: ecash, electronic money, mobile payment, nanaco, nfc, pasmo, rfid, suica, tokyo
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Mobile payment and the future of money
CLSA - Asia-Pacific Markets - last week organized the "CLSA Japan Forum" here in Tokyo. About 800-1000 investment bankers, portfolio managers, investors, analysts came together. Since last year interest of global investors in Japan has increased a lot.
Eurotechnology Japan KK participated actively, and on Friday March 2, 2007, gave a presentation on:
"Impact of mobile payment and the future of money"
The presentation covers the following agenda:
- Can e-money and mobile payment replace cash?
- Example: mobile payment for the world's busiest train line
- DoCoMo's target for mobile payments
- Japan's mobile payment and keitai credit landscape
- Free markets vs regulation
- Mifare and Felica chips and radio communications (NFC)
- Who drives mobile payments
- Growth of SUICA
- DoCoMo's mobile payment and keitai credit strategy
- Edy - electronic cash
- A major bank's mobile payment system
- Impact
- Where to invest - who to watch
- Summary
"Impact of mobile payment and the future of money" (download here)
"Mobile payment and keitai credit (download here)
Slashdot It!
Eurotechnology Japan KK participated actively, and on Friday March 2, 2007, gave a presentation on:
"Impact of mobile payment and the future of money"
The presentation covers the following agenda:
- Can e-money and mobile payment replace cash?
- Example: mobile payment for the world's busiest train line
- DoCoMo's target for mobile payments
- Japan's mobile payment and keitai credit landscape
- Free markets vs regulation
- Mifare and Felica chips and radio communications (NFC)
- Who drives mobile payments
- Growth of SUICA
- DoCoMo's mobile payment and keitai credit strategy
- Edy - electronic cash
- A major bank's mobile payment system
- Impact
- Where to invest - who to watch
- Summary
"Impact of mobile payment and the future of money" (download here)
"Mobile payment and keitai credit (download here)
Slashdot It! Labels: docomo, edy, felica, mobile payment, suica, walletphone
