i-mode

Unlike Wireless Application Protocols, i-mode encompasses a wider variety of internet standards, including web access, e-mail, and the packet-switched network that delivers the data.

Content is provided by specialised services, typically from the mobile carrier, which allows them to have tighter control over billing.

The content planning and service design team was led by Mari Matsunaga, while Takeshi Natsuno was responsible for the business development.

Bandai launched the Dokodemo Aso Vegas service in May 1999, reaching over 1 million paid subscribers by March 2000.

[4] Since 2003, i-mode center is called CiRCUS, which consists of 400 NEC NX7000 HP-UX servers and occupies 4,600 m2 floor space in DoCoMo's Kawasaki office.

As of June 2006, the mobile data services I-Mode, EZweb, and J-Sky, had over 80 million subscribers in Japan.

[5] Seeing the tremendous success of i-mode in Japan, many operators in Europe, Asia and Australia sought to license the service through partnership with DoCoMo.

Kamel Maamria who was a partner with the Boston Consulting Group and who was supporting Mr. Natsuno is also thought to have had a major role in the expansion of the first Japanese service ever outside Japan.

The operators who decided to launch i-mode had to rely on Japanese vendors who had no experience in international markets.