Monday, January 29, 2007
Mickey mouse & Disneychannel use QR-Codes
Disneychannel places advertisements with huge QR-code on Tokyo's roofs. People passing by point their mobile phones at Mickey's QR-code, and the mobile phone takes them to Disneychannel's mobile site.
QR codes were developed in the 1990s to manage car parts - today they are by far the best way to link mobile phones to almost anything. In many applications QR codes are cheaper, easier, more flexible and more secure than RFID and NFC.
If you need more information about qr-codes and their business applications, download our report here (pdf-file) or contact us.
QR codes were developed in the 1990s to manage car parts - today they are by far the best way to link mobile phones to almost anything. In many applications QR codes are cheaper, easier, more flexible and more secure than RFID and NFC.
If you need more information about qr-codes and their business applications, download our report here (pdf-file) or contact us.
Labels: 2D barcode, nfc, QR, QR-code, rfid
European Central Bank (ECB) uses QR-codes
QR codes were developed in the 1990s to manage car parts - today they are by far the best way to link mobile phones to almost anything. In many applications QR codes are cheaper, easier, more flexible and more secure than RFID and NFC.
The European Central Bank (based in Frankfurt) manages the EURO, is one of the world's most important central banks, and uses QR-codes to link traditional PC-webpages to mobile pages.
If you need more information about qr-codes and their business applications, download our report here (pdf-file) or contact us.
The European Central Bank (based in Frankfurt) manages the EURO, is one of the world's most important central banks, and uses QR-codes to link traditional PC-webpages to mobile pages.
If you need more information about qr-codes and their business applications, download our report here (pdf-file) or contact us.
Labels: 2D barcode, barcode, ecb, european central bank, nfc, QR, QR-code, rfid
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Mobile subscriptions grow by 5 million in Japan during 2006
Japan's mobile subscriber numbers grew by about 5 million in 2006. Because of the much higher ARPU, Japan's mobile market again grew by a couple of Finlands during 2006. A growing number of people have more than one mobile phone, to take advantage of the best rates, eg for mail, voice and data. We expect growth to continue. Our analysis below shows that KDDI's and AU's gains are a lot larger than a superficial view of the statistics reveals - see our Figure below. Find a detailed review in the latest edition of our JCOMM-Report.
KDDI's subscriber gains during 2006 are much bigger than a superficial analysis reveals (see figure above):
KDDI's AU mobile service gained about 4.2 million new subscribers during 2006 - more than twice as many than DoCoMo's cellular service, which gained about 1.8 million new subscriptions.
Currently, KDDI is shutting down it's TuKa 2G service, and DoCoMo is shutting down it's PHS service. Both services together lost more than 2 million subscribers during 2006 - this is a much larger movement than due to number portability introduced on Oct 24, 2006.
KDDI offers both number portability and mobile email portability, and reports surprise that many former low-end TuKa users moved to top-end high-speed WIN (2.4 Mbps) data services.
For KDDI, enticing TuKa subscribers to move to high-end/high-speed AU services was an excellent preparation for number portability, and helped KDDI win in the first stage.
KDDI's subscriber gains during 2006 are much bigger than a superficial analysis reveals (see figure above):
KDDI's AU mobile service gained about 4.2 million new subscribers during 2006 - more than twice as many than DoCoMo's cellular service, which gained about 1.8 million new subscriptions.
Currently, KDDI is shutting down it's TuKa 2G service, and DoCoMo is shutting down it's PHS service. Both services together lost more than 2 million subscribers during 2006 - this is a much larger movement than due to number portability introduced on Oct 24, 2006.
KDDI offers both number portability and mobile email portability, and reports surprise that many former low-end TuKa users moved to top-end high-speed WIN (2.4 Mbps) data services.
For KDDI, enticing TuKa subscribers to move to high-end/high-speed AU services was an excellent preparation for number portability, and helped KDDI win in the first stage.
Labels: au, docomo, Japan, KDDI, mnp, mobile, mobile number portability, subscriber numbers, subscriptions, wireless
IC tickets top the ranks
Every year Nikkei Marketing Journal publishes a ranking list of the most successful products of the past year in the form Sumo wrestling results are traditionally displayed: there is a Western side and an Eastern side, winners at the top are displayed in much larger print than also rans at the bottom.
IC tickets are the "Ooseki" (second place) winners on the Eastern side of the Sumo ranking of hit products for 2006.
On March 18, 2007, more than 100 transportation companies of the Tokyo region including 25 train operators which serve a population of around 30 million will introduce PASMO IC-Tickets. Introduction of PASMO will increase market share for IC-tickets and ecash in Japan - and globally.
Read more in the latest edition of our
Suica and IC-Ticket report.
IC tickets are the "Ooseki" (second place) winners on the Eastern side of the Sumo ranking of hit products for 2006.
On March 18, 2007, more than 100 transportation companies of the Tokyo region including 25 train operators which serve a population of around 30 million will introduce PASMO IC-Tickets. Introduction of PASMO will increase market share for IC-tickets and ecash in Japan - and globally.
Read more in the latest edition of our
Suica and IC-Ticket report.
Labels: ecash, felica, ic-ticket, mifare, nfc, pasmo, rfid, suica
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Human vending machine in Tokyo
While Coca-Cola promotes Cmode vending machines with mixed success (see our C-Mode report) for wallet-phones and mobile payments, a promoter used the opposite extreme at the most visible spot on Shibuya's Hachiko square recently: a human vending machine with a built-in charming human operator for the human touch (there is an upper window to serve adults and a special lower window to serve children):
Labels: hachiko, marketing, promotion, shibuya, vending machine
Sunday, January 21, 2007
QR code and color
QR-codes turn out to be the killer-app for camera phones - not MMS.
QR-Code have become ubiquitous in Japan, and link mobile phones to life in many ways. QR-Codex are usually the quickest, most efficient and cheapest way to link mobile phones to information in daily life, and to provide feedback in both directions, and even for user-to-user interactions.
QR-Codex do not have to be in boring black-and-white:
Operators, governments, equipment makers, start-ups rely on Eurotechnology Japan KK to plan QR-Code business.
QR-Code have become ubiquitous in Japan, and link mobile phones to life in many ways. QR-Codex are usually the quickest, most efficient and cheapest way to link mobile phones to information in daily life, and to provide feedback in both directions, and even for user-to-user interactions.
QR-Codex do not have to be in boring black-and-white:
Operators, governments, equipment makers, start-ups rely on Eurotechnology Japan KK to plan QR-Code business.
Labels: 2d bar code, bar code, QR, QR-code
PASMO: IC cards for transport
On March 18, 2007, more than 100 transportation companies (26 railway companies and 75 bus companies) - moving 30 million people of the Tokyo region - will switch to the IC card ticketing and e-cash system named "PASMO". PASMO will interoperate and partially compete with SUICA.
Preparations go back more than 20 years, when Japan's national railways started research on IC cards for ticketing. SUICA IC-card tickets were introduced commercially in November 2001 at 424 JR-EAST rail stations in the Tokyo region.
Tokyo's PASMO is likely to develop into one of the world's biggest electronic payment and e-cash systems.
Preparations go back more than 20 years, when Japan's national railways started research on IC cards for ticketing. SUICA IC-card tickets were introduced commercially in November 2001 at 424 JR-EAST rail stations in the Tokyo region.
Tokyo's PASMO is likely to develop into one of the world's biggest electronic payment and e-cash systems.
Labels: felica, ic-ticket, nfc, pasmo, rfid, suica, wallet phone
Friday, January 05, 2007
Mobile Number Portability (MNP) in Japan
Mobile number portability created winners and losers in only two months - the main business challenge for Japanese operators is to avoid a price war.
KDDI is the clear winner in the first round, DoCoMo suffers a setback, and SoftBank did better than expected.
Today we released the 23rd edition of our JCOMM-Report - about 250 pages of overview and analysis of Japan's telecom sector.
KDDI gains 524,000 subscribers in Oct & Nov 2006. DoCoMo for the first time ever since it was founded experienced a net loss of subscriptions.
KDDI gains 600,000 new EZweb subscribers, Japanese operators earn much from mobile internet - subscription data show even better results for KDDI's EZweb.
KDDI is the clear winner in the first round, DoCoMo suffers a setback, and SoftBank did better than expected.
Today we released the 23rd edition of our JCOMM-Report - about 250 pages of overview and analysis of Japan's telecom sector.
KDDI gains 524,000 subscribers in Oct & Nov 2006. DoCoMo for the first time ever since it was founded experienced a net loss of subscriptions.
KDDI gains 600,000 new EZweb subscribers, Japanese operators earn much from mobile internet - subscription data show even better results for KDDI's EZweb.
Labels: docomo, KDDI, mnp, mobile number portability, softbank, subscriber numbers
Monday, January 01, 2007
NEW YEAR on i-Mode and EZ-web
Both i-Mode and EZweb top menu pages display Season Greetings and reflect Japan's seasonal mood: autumn sports days in schools, skiing in winter, Halloween and New Year.
Here are this year's New Year greetings for the Year of the boar on i-mode and EZweb which were displayed from January 1, 2007 for a few days during Japan's New Year vacation:
More about Japan's mobile internet:
DoCoMo and i-Mode
KDDI and EZweb
SoftBank and YAHOO-Keitai
Here are this year's New Year greetings for the Year of the boar on i-mode and EZweb which were displayed from January 1, 2007 for a few days during Japan's New Year vacation:
More about Japan's mobile internet:
DoCoMo and i-Mode
KDDI and EZweb
SoftBank and YAHOO-Keitai
Labels: docomo, ezweb, i-mode, imode, KDDI
