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Japan Inc Magazine Presents:<br>
W I R E L E S S W A T C H</p>
<p>READ WIRELESS WATCH ONLINE AT:<br>
<a href="http://www.japaninc.com/" title="www.japaninc.com">www.japaninc.com</a></p>
<p>The Latest News From The Wireless Industry In Japan<br>
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Issue No. 176 Thursday July 31, 2008<br>
Subscribers: 9467<br>
SUBSCRIBE AND UNSUBSCRIBE TO WIRELESS WATCH:<br>
<a href="http://www.japaninc.com/newsletters/free_sign_up" title="http://www.japaninc.com/newsletters/free_sign_up">http://www.japaninc.com/newsletters/free_sign_up</a></p>
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<p>Mobile Content Search – Can Niche Players Play A Role ? </p>
<p>In our past issues, we mentioned the success of off-portal sites<br>
that rely on advertising revenue. Paid mobile search,<br>
advertising in which advertisers only pay when a visitor clicks<br>
on their ad or link from a search engine page, is rapidly<br>
gaining momentum. A small US startup company called MCN,<br>
headquartered in the west of Tokyo, between Shibuya and Ebisu<br>
along the Yamanote circular line, is one of the drivers behind<br>
paid mobile search. MCN started in 2004 in Mountain View, CA. </p>
<p>Last year, the business headquarters was relocated to Tokyo to<br>
be closer to the fast growing Asian markets. The research and<br>
product development team is still in Mountain View. The company<br>
already employs 50 people. </p>
<p>The challenge for mobile search is the quality of the search<br>
results. It often takes more than five clicks to reach the<br>
relevant content. Mobile users do not have the patience for<br>
this. Long click distances kill content discovery. MCN is<br>
changing this with allwords - its vertical paid search program.<br>
If the provider's database contains content relevant to the<br>
query, it can be presented to the mobile users in a few clicks.<br>
'We call this 'Search Merchandising' and we are driving the<br>
industry's highest clickthrough and conversion rates for mobile<br>
content transactions. On music search, for example, our<br>
clickthroughs are approaching 50% and growing and our content<br>
partners tell us our conversion rates are easily double those of<br>
competing systems' says Marc Brookman, CEO of MCN. Content<br>
providers are charged on a pay-per-click basis, similar to<br>
Google's Adwords, except that with allwords they don't have to<br>
manage the complexity of bidding for keywords—they can buy all<br>
of the keywords in a given category (Music, Images, Games,<br>
Comics, Video, etc).. </p>
<p>In Japan, MCN has signed up with more than 30 content providers<br>
and 6 distribution partners and portals. Yahoo! Mobile Japan<br>
uses allwords. On the Yahoo! Mobile Japan top page, users can<br>
click on vertical content channel links to browse to the music<br>
or comics or games pages where the content search is powered by<br>
MCN. After entering the key word, MCN connects the query in<br>
real-time directly to multiple content provider databases, ranks<br>
the most relevant results into a 'Top 5' and returns actual<br>
content items, not just links, to the user to purchase the content. </p>
<p>MCN co-exists with the traditional search providers. Google and<br>
Yahoo are targeting big traffic customers with mobile search.<br>
Google provides its search engine to DoCoMo and KDDI. Their<br>
search results are often not relevant for paid mobile content<br>
discovery, the niche market MCN has been growing in with its<br>
white label service. How long will it take before Google and<br>
Yahoo adapt their search and business model for the mobile<br>
Internet? Stay tuned. </p>
<p>By Arjen Van Blokland</p>
<p>-------NEW GADGET BLOG: TEKRONOMICON.COM------------------</p>
<p>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.<br>
See the gadgets introduced in Gadget Watch,<br>
with photos and more at: <a href="http://www.tekronomicon.com/" title="www.tekronomicon.com">www.tekronomicon.com</a></p>
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J@pan Inc - Managing Editor/Entrepreneur</p>
<p>J@pan Inc magazine, the publication for foreign entrepreneurs<br>
and businesspeople in Japan is seeking a Managing Editor with<br>
strong entrepreneurial instincts. Not your run-of-the-mill<br>
editing position, we require someone with strong editorial and<br>
management experience to both manage an editorial and production<br>
team to turn out Japan's largest English-language business<br>
monthly. The successful candidate would also be expected to<br>
shape the magazine to become a proactive player in the foreign<br>
business community. Think content involving the world's largest<br>
companies and business development involving some of Japan's<br>
most enterprising businesses -- an unlikely combination but an<br>
exciting opportunity to make your mark in Japan.</p>
<p>Remuneration will be industry competitive and prospects<br>
excellent.</p>
<p>To apply, please send your resume, covering letter and<br>
any relevant clippings to: <a href="mailto:terrie@japaninc.com">terrie@japaninc.com</a><br>
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<p>++EVENTS</p>
<p>---------- International Business Awards Japan ------------</p>
<p>**J@pan Inc is pleased to announce the opening of nominations<br>
for the International Business Awards Japan 2008**</p>
<p>Is your CEO or company worthy of recognition? The J@pan Inc<br>
International Business Awards 2008 gives you the opportunity<br>
to nominate business people and corporations you feel deserve<br>
to win an award</p>
<p>HAVE YOUR SAY, GO TO <a href="http://www.japaninc.com/" title="http://www.japaninc.com/">http://www.japaninc.com/</a></p>
<p>CORPORATE SPONSORS WELCOME<br>
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