Osaifu-Keitai is a service from NTT’s DoCoMo which is yet another example of how the U.S. carriers are missing the boat in terms of mobile convergence. With the small form factor of a standard mobile phone, Japanese carriers like DoCoMo are providing needs based convergence in ways that only exist in VC’s dreams here in the States. While there is some noise about m-commerce here, it is a long way off- especially if it relies on the marketing prowess of the U.S. wireless carriers.
While I can’t read all of the DoCoMo site, it seems that they are providing a much more open platform for content and applications than firms like Verizon. On the commerce side, they seem to allow many firms to use the Osaifu-Keitai prepaid platform. DCMX is apparently the credit version of the same platform. While one could debate that the platform is only open in respect to DoCoMo’s service, it is still more open than Verizon and therefore seems to indicate some openness is better than none. What if Google is really able to offer a popular and truly open application platform as the rumors seem to suggest they may? Might openness take the day?
Interestingly, in terms of technology convergence, Osaifu-Keitai is a combination of RFID and Internet based mobile phone services. The term for these devices is wallet phones which is appropriate given it offers needs based convergence by incorporating the need to be able to pay for things on the go (traditionally met by the wallet).
It is definitely going to be interesting to see how this market evolves in the U.S.