Class 18

This class continues the analysis of portals and information aggregators in the wireless context. We examine NTT DoCoMo's i-mode data service, with 34 million paying subscribers in Japan, and try to understand what made it successful and whether it can continue to be successful.

1. How is the wireless Internet different from the wireline Internet from a content provider's perspective? (You may want to recall your analysis in Class 3).
2. If AOL were focused on the wireless Internet as opposed to the wireline Internet, would that change anything in your analysis of America Online?
3. For NTT DoCoMo before it started the data services business (i.e., in the voice era), perform an analysis of the revenue model and drivers of profitability similar to the analysis you did for AOL (See AOL discussion question 1).
4. What factors led to the success of i-mode? Compare them to the case of AOL.
5. What is the structure of the wireless value chain that makes it possible for consumers to ultimately view content on their mobile phones? How is that value chain managed? How is it different from the value chains of other portals like America Online and Yahoo!?
6. Will i-mode be successful in Europe? In the United States? Why or why not?