----------------------------------------------------------------<br>Japan Inc Magazine Presents:<br>W I R E L E S S W A T C H<br><br>READ WIRELESS WATCH ONLINE AT:<br><a href="http://www.japaninc.com">www.japaninc.com</a><br>
<br>The Latest News From The Wireless Industry In Japan<br>----------------------------------------------------------------<br>Issue No. 172 Wednesday April 30, 2008<br>Subscribers: 9467<br>SUBSCRIBE AND UNSUBSCRIBE TO WIRELESS WATCH:<br>
<a href="http://www.japaninc.com/newsletters/free_sign_up">http://www.japaninc.com/newsletters/free_sign_up</a><br><br>****OUT NOW: J@PAN INC MAGAZINE'S****<br>MEDICAL SPECIAL (JAN/FEB 2008)<br>Healthcare Services Directory, disasterous risk to Japan -<br>
PLUS Investment in Vietnam, Japan's automotive industry and<br>much more Read online at <a href="http://www.japaninc.com">www.japaninc.com</a><br><br>================================================================<br>
-----------------------------------------------------------<br>CISCO WIRELESS PHONES FROM PBXL<br><br>PBXL 802.11b wireless phones use the same Cisco technology<br>as our industry-standard handsets so you can work everywhere<br>
you need to be.<br><br>Every PBXL Cisco 7921 phone comes with a big color screen,<br>a 03 Tokyo number, voicemail, and more!<br>Everything you expect from the best office phone system<br>on the market.<br><br>Call today for a free quotation: 03-4550-2557<br>
<a href="mailto:info@pbxl.jp">info@pbxl.jp</a><br><a href="http://www.pbxl.jp/seminarstt">www.pbxl.jp/seminarstt</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>How to turn an incumbent around? <br>
<br>Those who have read our past months' issues might have had <br>impression that we do not care about NTT DoCoMo anymore. The <br>incumbent mobile giant has had a tough ride since 2006. Its <br>market share dropped by 2.4% to 52.0% due to the introduction <br>
of Mobile Number Portability, and it has faced intense <br>competition from SoftBank and KDDI with aggressive pricing plans<br>and services, and the end of handset subsidies. <br><br>In April, DoCoMo announced the financial results for the fiscal <br>
year ending March 2008. Operating revenues dropped by 1.6% to <br>4.7 trillion yen (US$45 billion). And yet, its profit margins <br>increased. Internal cost cutting measures resulted in a growth <br>of 7.4% of the net income to 800 billion yen (US$7.7 billion). <br>
<br>DoCoMo did not anticipate the changing mobile environment well <br>enough. The expansion phase with a focus on new subscriber <br>acquisition, prevention of churn, and pushing new technologies <br>to the users had come to an end. DoCoMo finally recognized last <br>
summer it had to react. A mature market requires a focus on <br>existing subscribers. Japan has traditionally low churns of well<br>below 1%. DoCoMo churn peaked at 0.97% in the first quarter of <br>2007. After the introduction of brand loyalty programs with new <br>
discount services and handset purchase methods, churn started <br>declining to 0.68% in the first quarter of this year. The number<br>of flat rate subscribers (all you can eat data traffic) <br>increased to 12.7 million. <br>
<br>On the services side, DoCoMo is pushing ahead in mobile credit <br>business. It now has 5.6 million credit hard holders, and the <br>number of installed payment terminals reached 300,000. Home <br>area services will be offered this year. Mobile handsets <br>
automatically switch to the wireless LAN connection at home to <br>make cheaper calls. The wireless LAN router is connected to the <br>DoCoMo network through a broadband connection. <br><br>In terms of its international business of DoCoMo grew by 35% <br>
year on year to 56 billion yen (US$530 million). International <br>roaming has always been an issue as the second generation <br>PDC-handsets and most of the first generation FOMA-handsets <br>could not roam outside Japan. The new 905-series handsets can <br>
roam over GSM and 3G-networks. <br><br>To further cut operational costs, DoCoMo's nine group companies <br>divided by region will be merged in a single entity resulting <br>in higher efficiency and standardization of sales and <br>
promotions. <br><br>Masao Nakamura, President and CEO of DoCoMo successfully stopped<br>his company's decline with a new customer centered approach. <br>KDDI, Softbank and EMOBILE will continue pushing him harder. <br>It seems like the Japanese market has finally become competitive<br>
– stay tuned. <br><br>By Arjen Van Blokland<br><br>--------NEW GADGET BLOG: TEKRONOMICON.COM-----------------------<br>In collaboration with Gadget Watch, Gadget blog Tekronomicon<br>offers a detailed look at select gadgets - shiny and strange,<br>
from gizmo ground zero in Tokyo. See the gadgets introduced<br>in Gadget Watch and more, with photos, at <a href="http://www.tekronomicon.com">www.tekronomicon.com</a><br><br><br>++EVENTS<br><br>----------- Metropolis and eigoTown.com Parties -----------<br>
<br>Metropolis - Tokyo's favorite lifestyle magazine and<br>eigoTown.com - Japan's premier English language learning<br>website - join together on May 10, 2008 to bring you<br>the Metropolis and eigoTown.com Party!<br>
<br>Roppongi hotspot Alife will host over 500 revelers for an<br>evening of fun with people from different backgrounds<br>coming together for eating, drinking and making friends.<br><br>CORPORATE SPONSORS WELCOME<br><br>Website: <a href="http://www.metropolis.co.jp/party">www.metropolis.co.jp/party</a><br>
<br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br>Marcus Evans Events - Supported by J@pan Inc<br><br>Customer Relationship Excellence, 15th - 16th April 2008, Tokyo<br>
<a href="http://www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13548">http://www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13548</a><br>Featuring speakers from American Express International and others<br><br>Compensation and Benefits Forum, 27th - 28th May, Tokyo<br>
<a href="http://www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13778">http://www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13778</a><br>This event provides Japanese firms the 'how-to' of investing in<br>their employees to sustain their businesses.<br>
Supported by JSHRM<br><br>3rd Annual LNG World, 15th - 16th July 2008, Tokyo<br><a href="http://www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13569">www.marcusevans.com/html/eventdetail.asp?eventID=13569</a><br>This event focuses on key operational aspects of LNG business and<br>
current market dynamics to succeed in this competitive market.<br><br>'J@pan Inc readers are entitled to a 10% discount upon<br>registration with Ms. Esther Wong.'<br>Contact: +603 2723 6736 Email: <a href="mailto:estherw@marcusevanskl.com">estherw@marcusevanskl.com</a><br>
<br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br><br>Start a Company in Japan<br><br>Entrepreneur's Handbook Seminar 31st of May, 2008<br><br>If you have been considering setting up your own company,<br>
find out what it takes to make it successful.<br>Terrie Lloyd, founder of over 13 start-up companies in Japan,<br>will be giving an English-language seminar and Q and A on<br>starting up a company in Japan.<br>This is an ideal opportunity to find out what is involved,<br>
and to ask specific questions that are not normally answered<br>in business books.<br>All materials are in English and are Japan-focused.<br><br>For more details:<br><a href="http://www.japaninc.com/entrepreneur_handbook_seminar">http://www.japaninc.com/entrepreneur_handbook_seminar</a><br>
<br>-----------------------------------------------------------<br>