- Keyword Search Service Expands Mobile Convenience -
Finding a needle in the huge haystack of information now available on the mobile Internet became much easier on October 5, when DoCoMo launched a vastly expanded keyword search service incorporating no less than 13 search engines, including Google, Microsoft and Yahoo.
The iMenu top page now automatically displays a convenient search window where
A first-level search provides a list of results for
Until recently, users could perform simple searches of the
While DoCoMo's open searches are linked to multiple engines, other mobile carriers in Japan have taken a closed approach, limiting their searches to exclusive engines, such as Yahoo Japan on Softbank (which bought out Vodafone Japan) and Google on au. The much broader choice of search engines is thus a distinct feature of DoCoMo's new service.
Leveraging the Power of Mobile Phones
DoCoMo Products & Services Division Managing Director Kiyoyuki Tsujimura says, "Considering the mushrooming number of mobile sites, as well as the huge volume of information they offer, introducing a powerful, convenient search engine was a natural conclusion. 
The path is finally being paved to enable mobile users to obtain useful information available anytime and anywhere."
The aim has been to leverage one of the key strengths of mobile phones: unrestricted access to cyberspace, virtually regardless of time or location. "A PC is more like a telescope that enables the user to search great distances and vast information. Because of the PC's size, however, you cannot carry it around, and even a laptop is cumbersome to use on the go," says Tsujimura. "But a mobile phone is like a portable microscope. The user can pull it out anytime and virtually anywhere to zoom in on specific information. Our search service makes this process easier and more practical than ever before."
Potentially Huge Impact on Mobile Internet
The new service could have a major impact on both the quality of information available through the mobile Internet and commercial opportunities for innovative companies.
By bundling competing search engines in its service, DoCoMo has introduced a healthy measure of competition that should result in higher quality searches. At the same time, iMenu site operators will be tempted to upgrade the quality of information that they provide.
The potential for DoCoMo to develop a significant source of new revenue is also strong. Although there is no charge for either signing up or using the service, DoCoMo expects to see a rise in average monthly revenue per unit (ARPU) as users generate packet communication charges while accessing websites after their searches. DoCoMo's approximately 47 million i-mode users are averaging 20 website page views per day, already a huge number, but with the promise for further growth as these users begin to utilize mobile searches even more.
The new service will also provide new business opportunities by enabling companies to sponsor ads on participating search engines. Sponsors will be able to reach target audiences by tying their ads to keywords, while users will receive additional useful information without having to search for it.
In fact, most analysts agree that search services hold the key to increased mobile Internet usage and e-commerce via mobile phones.
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