Wwww– Who Will Win Wireless?

WWWW–Who Will Win Wireless?

The wireless Internet may offer opportunities for managers and investors. This case discusses different players in the wireless Internet industry and asks readers to evaluate the likelihood that they will create and capture value. Teaching Purpose: Explores the potential of the wireless Internet, focusing participants on a rigorous examination of which players are likely to create and capture value and the decision to invest in risky, fast-growing in the mobile Internet.

NTT DoCoMo is the largest wireless company in Japan provide i-mode. i-mode is a wireless internet service popular in Japan. Unlike WAP, i-mode encompasses a wider variety of internet standards, including web access, e-mail and the packet-switched network that delivers the data. i-mode users have access to various services such as e-mail, sports results, weather forecast, games, financial services and ticket booking. Content is provided by specialized services, typically from the mobile carrier, which allows them to have tighter control over billing.

Like WAP, i-mode delivers only those services that are specifically converted for the service, or are converted through gateways. This has placed both systems at a disadvantage against handsets that use “real” browser software, and generally use a flat pricing structure for data.

Just about everyone I talk to is very excited about mobile Internet. In 2006, the Japanese government proudly announced that more people used the Internet through their mobile phones than through their computers. Online services are all talking about their “mobile strategy” and VCs are flocking to fund the latest “mobile startup”.

The Industry Players

Value in the mobile content Value Chain: Strategies, Trends and Opportunities Currently, the mobile network operators generate a major part of their revenue from voice services and a very small part comes from data services such as SMS. Whereas some data...