Blackberry in Japan

I had an in-depth discussion with one of my morning students about Blackberry's presence in Japan. After nearly a year of English-only service (good for multinationals, bad for everyone else), they're starting up their Japanese-language version.

One telecoms analyst says it won't do well, because Japanese cell phones can already receive emails. Another said his Nokia multifunction phone can do the same things cheaper.

I think Blackberry will do well, though. First, it plans on targeting corporate clients. By placing its proprietary servers in corporate server rooms, it can build its brand name before going mainstream.

I predict that service industries (where customer contact is vital) will probably be the first to adopt the technology. Having a Blackberry at corporate expense will first be an "added value" service. Later, it will be a status symbol within the
company.

Who knows -- I'm probably wrong. But I look forward to seeing how it will work.

My student, a PWC partner, says a few of his coworkers have a Blackberry (here in Korea; again, the English-only version). Opinion is split between those who like the constant accessibility and those who prefer to leave the office at the office.

Though the work cultures are different, that sounds a lot like the U.S. market. And that would be a good indication for Blackberry.