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DoCoMo and the i-Mode Ecosystem
Overview report of DoCoMo, the world's most admired mobile operator, and i-Mode, the pioneering mobile internet system with 48.5 Million paying subscribers which started in Japan in February 1999.
Version 25 of June 1, 2009
approx. 187 pages, including approx. 48 Figures and 140 Photographs and 10 tables, pdf-format, 7 Mbyte
[BUY Single copy license : US$ 475]
[BUY Corporate license: US$ 2375]
Any questions? Contact us because we need your feedback!
1. General:
1.1. What is i-mode:
imode is NTT DoCoMo's mobile internet access system. "imode" is also a trademark and/or service mark owned by NTT DoCoMo. i-Mode is also a whole multi-billion Dollar eco-system, and its part of Japans social and economic infrastructure. About 38% of Japans population use i-mode about 10 times or more often per day, sending about 10 email per person per day, booking train tickets, checking the weather or doing other daily routines via i-mode, and 70% of Japan's population subscribe to one of the competing mobile internst systems. Most businesses and individuals in Japan are affected in one way or another by i-mode
1.2. Which systems compete with i-Mode?
i-mode also lead the competitors (at that time: KDDI, TuKa, Japan-Telecom/J-Phone, DDI-Pocket etc) to introduce similar mobile internet systems: KDDI/AU introduced EZweb, and J-Phone introduced Jsky, which was later acquired by Vodafone, which renamed Jsky to Vodafone Live! Later Vodafone KK was sold to SoftBank, and Jsky / Vodafone Live! was replaced by Yahoo-Mobile, which is SoftBank's mobile internet service.
1.3. Where does the brand i-mode come from? What does the "i" in i-Mode mean?
The "i" in "imode" stands for information, internet, etc. (according to one of i-Modes inventors, Ms Matsunaga).
1.4. Who invented i-Mode?
Ms Mari Matsunaga. Fortune Magazine recently selected her as one of the most powerful women in business in Japan, DoCoMo Board member Enoki and Takeshi Natsuno.
1.5. Is it "imode" or "i-mode"?
DoCoMo's US trademark application is for "i-mode".
In Japan, "i-mode" is written in many different ways. Sometimes it's written with roman characters, sometimes with katakana, sometimes with a combination of roman characters and Japanese katakana, and sometime a decorative yellow i-mode "i" is used.
DoCoMo's website uses mostly the "i-mode" spelling.
Checking out what english speaking people actually use for spelling i-mode: GOOGLE gives 14.7 million hits (37%) for "imode" and 24.6 million hits (63%) for "i-mode".