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NTT DoCoMo's Natsuno Predicts FeliCa-Capable Cell Phone to Become 'Lifestyle Infrastructure'

June 16, 2004 (TOKYO) -- Takeshi Natsuno, managing director of the i-mode planning department at the i-mode business division of NTT DoCoMo Inc, discussed the impact that FeliCa-capable mobile phones would have on society.

Takeshi Natsuno (upright) speaks of FeliCa-capable mobile phones
He made a presentation at the Mobile Marketing Conference 2004, which was held on June 10.

FeliCa is a contactless IC card technology. NTT DoCoMo will debut handset models with FeliCa functions in the summer of 2004, which he believes will bring about changes in lifestyles.

"Services or products that have an impact so great as to change people's lifestyles come about every five years in the mobile phone industry," Natsuno said.

The first drastic change was one in the retail system -- allowing customers to purchase a handset rather than rent it -- and this was introduced in 1994. This system sparked much greater demand for voice communication because more consumers started to buy mobile phones at low prices. At that time, a mobile phone was considered as part of the "communication infrastructure."

The next change was "i-mode," which was launched in 1999. In this stage, mobile phones brought about an "IT infrastructure" as this step increased the demand for data communication.

Natsuno said the year 2004, or five years after the debut of i-mode, will become the year of "lifestyle infrastructure" by equipping FeliCa in mobile phones. The firm's next aim is to put forward "real commerce" in the mobile phone business.

Infrared interfaces and the QR code, a 2D barcode reading system, which are being included in mobile phones, are just the beginning of the next stage of the mobile phone business.

"The FeliCa handset will allow users to operate it without starting up the screen. Additionally, when people use them, all they do is just scan them to the reader/writer," Natsuno said, expressing his confidence about market penetration.

NTT DoCoMo reportedly hopes to sell 10 million FeliCa-capable handsets in a year and a half.

Related stories:
- NTT DoCoMo's 'FeliCa'-Capable FOMA Phones to be Manufactured by Fujitsu
- NTT DoCoMo, 27 Others to Test Services Using Mobile Phone with Non-Contact Card
- NTT DoCoMo Unveils New 3G FOMA 900i Series Handsets

(Takahiro Kikuchi, Staff Editor, Nikkei Electronics)





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