As mobile market matures and service provider competition intensifies, mobile carriers cannot realize sustainable development only with mobile communications revenue in Japan. Accordingly, they strive to create new business models by combining mobile industry with others, accelerating mobile convergence. Among others, mobile commerce is emerging as a concept, which has the biggest potential to help generate substantial profit for mobile carriers.

Conventionally, mobile commerce refers to online transactions utilizing mobile devices on mobile network. In Japan, however, the scope of the concept has expanded as mobile payment and marketing
are being used in offline transactions. In addition, media mix is playing an increasing role in the commerce industry as mobile phones are combining with conventional media such as TV and radio.

Therefore, in this report, ROA defines mobile commerce as all online and offline commercial activities related to finance, marketplace, and marketing via mobile devices.


Scope of the Report

This report includes six chapters. The first chapter analyzes the market environment when the mobile commerce was launched. The second chapter studies three groups of Japan?fs mobile commerce including M-Finance, M-Marketing, and M-Marketplace, based on the classification determined by previous analysis of ROA Group. The third chapter examines strategies, current development and future direction of Japan?fs mobile carriers in each segment of mobile commerce. While the fourth chapter presents the current and future direction of security technology and services, the factors supporting mobile commerce, the fifth chapter identifies user trends, response, and flaws of this technology by studying end-user behaviors. Finally, the sixth chapter provides a forecast and identifies barriers and
drivers for further development of mobile commerce.


Methodologies

For this report, ROA Group carried out secondary research and interviews with related companies. In addition, survey on end-users was conducted independently in order to monitor user response and attitudes towards mobile commerce.


Target Readers

The report is useful for mobile carriers who seek new income sources in North America, Europe, and East Asia and other matured markets, as well as companies such as financial institutions,

e-commerce companies and content providers who want to break into the mobile commerce market.

It is also useful to other interest groups such as solution providers, security solution companies and device manufacturers in designing and implementing their future business plans.