Originally published 11 May 2004

Mr. Kouji Ohboshi, Corporate Adviser, for NTT DoCoMo, Inc, Japan’s most advanced mobile telephone company has chosen Warwick Business School as the sole European business school at which he will outline his vision of the international mobile communications market that will connect 570 million people, pets and machines in Japan alone.

NTT DoCoMo is pioneering a truly ubiquitous mobile internet, which will enable wireless links to virtually anything that moves for enhanced tracking and security. Applications include radio tags fixed to packages, automobiles, bicycles and even pets. Mobile phones will be used to monitor and remotely operate networked appliances in the home and to purchase items from smart vending machines. DoCoMo is also collaborating with partner companies to develop onboard mobile services (“telematics”) for leased cars planned to be launched by the end of 2004. In the foreseeable future, DoCoMo estimates the potential demand for ubiquitous products in Japan alone will rise to a staggering 570 million people, pets and machines.

He will deliver a speech on these developments entitled “The creation of economic demand by mobile communications & social reformation by ubiquitous network” at 6pm on Tuesday the 11th of May in the University of Warwick’s Ramphal lecture theatre to around 200 Warwick Business School staff and students and University of Warwick science staff and students

Mr Kouji Ohboshi graduated from Tokyo University with a Law degree and joined Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation. In 1979 he joined NTT Public Corporation as Managing Director of Data Communication Headquarters Marketing Division. Five years later, he progressed to General Manager of Chugoku Electrical Communications Station, in the same corporation, before progressing to Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Business Strategy Planning Headquarters. In 1990 he became Executive Vice President and Senior Executive Manager of Corporate Communications Systems Headquarters. In just two years Mr. Ohboshi progressed to President and CEO of NTT Mobile Communications Network before becoming its Chairman in 1998. In 2002 Mr Ohboshi retired as Chairman and has been Corporate Adviser since.

NTT DoCoMo has taken great strides with its communications technology since the early 1990s, moving rapidly from first-generation (1G) analogue voice-only communications, to second-generation (2G) digital voice and data communications. In 2001, DoCoMo took another big stride with the launch of FOMA, a revolutionary third-generation (3G) mobile communications service. The FOMA network offers high-speed packet transmissions for most mobile multimedia services, and circuit-switched transmissions for video conferencing. FOMA subscribers surpassed 2 million as of January 29, 2004.

For further information contact:

Vin Hammersley,
Media Relations Manager
Warwick Business School
024 76 524124
0777 5580963