Careers at NTT DoCoMo
Mission
NTT DoCoMo aims to provide reliable and comprehensive mobile communications services to Japanese consumers, as well as additional digital media and network development services.
Business segments
NTT DoCoMo operates through three principal business segments:
- Telecommunications Business, comprising mobile communications services such as LTE and FOMA solutions, optical fibre broadband services, and cable television services;
- Smart Life Business, video and music distribution, payment solutions, music software, food delivery services, and health management services; and
- Other Businesses, mobile device protections, and system development and maintenance services.
History
NTT DoCoMo was formally established in in 1992, taking over the mobile communications business of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (“NTT Group”) as part of its corporate reorganisation. The Company began providing mobile network services in 1993, rolling out additional coverage and data package communications services over the next two years. The Company has since diversified its offerings and expanded its network, creating innovative solutions such as Japan’s first mobile internet services platform in 1999 and mobile credit card services in 2006.
NTT DoCoMo is the leading mobile network provider in Japan, controlling almost half of the country’s mobile communications market. The Company’s shares have been listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange since 1998, and on the New York Stock Exchange since 2002. NTT DoCoMo has a current market capitalisation of $100.18 billion, according to New York Stock Exchange figures.
Business model of NTT DoCoMo
Customer Segments
NTT DoCoMo principally operates as a mobile telecommunications provider, serving general consumers across multiple demographics and some commercial clients.
The Company operates only in Japan, where it is the leading mobile telecommunications network provider. In 2015 the Company had a market share of 43.6%. NTT DoCoMo does provide some international services, however, these do not comprise a significant portion of its revenue generating activities.
Value Propositions
NTT DoCoMo provides value to its customers through the quality and reliability of its network services, its brand standing and reputation, its commitment to research and development, and the accessibility of its multi-channel services.
NTT DoCoMo is Japan’s largest and most established mobile operator, operating as part of NTT Group, which has a strong reputation for quality within the Company. NTT DoCoMo commits a significant portion of revenue to research and development activities each year, and has a number of patents in place to ensure that it provides up-to-date solutions to its customers.
Channels
NTT DoCoMo operates a website at www.nttdocomo.co.jp, through which customers can find information on the Company’s products and services. The Company also operates an online store, the DoCoMo Shop, through which customers are able to purchase mobile handsets, devices and subscription plans. Additionally, NTT DoCoMo operates online music, book and video services through its dmarket portal, which is accessible through mobile and desktop browsers, and mobile applications.
Much of NTT DoCoMo’s sales are completed through its own direct sales teams. The Company operates a network of physical stores, and a number of sales offices. NTT DoCoMo has a recently established Sales and Marketing Division, which is responsible for revenues in the mobile and telecommunications sector, and formulating strategies to target individual customers within the mobile telecommunications field. Corporate sales are the responsibility of the Company’s devoted Corporate Sales Division. NTT DoCoMo’s Business Development Division is responsible for promoting the Company’s broadband services to both individual and commercial customers.
Customer Relationships
Many of NTT DoCoMo’s products and services are available to customers on a self-service basis through the DoCoMo Shop and the Company’s dmarket portal, including handset and mobile network subscriptions and on-demand services. The Company’s more complex services, notably its network system maintenance and development, require a greater degree of interaction and consultation with clients, in order to accurately fulfil their needs.
NTT DoCoMo makes a range of technical support resources available to customers through its website, including troubleshooting guides and user manuals. It also enables customers to make direct enquiries with the Company’s support staff in order to receive more personalised care. The Company operates several social media profiles, through which it is able to interact directly with customers.
Key Activities
NTT DoCoMo operates primarily as a mobile telecommunications provider.
Key Partners
NTT DoCoMo has a number of partnerships with operators within the telecommunications and technology sectors.
The Company has recently launched partnerships with a number of companies. In 2015 the Company entered into partnership with McDonald’s, under which McDonald’s agreed to provide discounts to the more than 54 million members of NTT DoCoMo’s "d POINT CLUB" at its network of 3,000 outlets in Japan.
The Company additionally launched a partnership in 2015 with Telefonica, with a view to providing Internet of Things solutions to multinational clients. NTT DoCoMo also has an Internet of Things tie-up with ThingWorx and Nippon Systemware in the provision of an M2M cloud solutions system powered by the ThingWorx platform.
Key Resources
NTT DoCoMo’s key resources are its technology, its telecommunications infrastructure, its IT infrastructure, its sales and distribution channels – notably its chain of retail stores, and its personnel. According to its annual report, NTT DoCoMo has more patents that are essential in the use of LTE than any other communications company in the world.
This includes a number of patent applications filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office, such as its applications entitled ‘Mobile station and radio base station’, ‘Wireless circuit and frequency pair determination method’ and ‘Enhanced inter-cell interference control in a radio communication system’.
Cost Structure
NTT DoCoMo incurs costs in relation to its research and development activities, its operation of its sales and distribution networks, maintenance and development of its IT infrastructure and communications infrastructure, and retention of its personnel.
NTT DoCoMo employs more than 25,500 members of staff, all of whom amount to costs in the form of salaries and benefits. The Company also operates a network of sales and administrative offices, as well as a chain of retail stores, which accrue costs in the form of rent and utilities.
Revenue Streams
NTT DoCoMo generates revenue through a range of services that can largely be divided into three categories:
- mobile and broadband communications services, including monthly connection charges, call charges, packet communication charges, broadband subscriptions and cable television subscriptions;
- equipment sales, including revenue from sales of mobile phone handsets supplied by third party manufacturers; and
- other services, including revenue from content services, payment solutions and device protection services.
In 2015 NTT DoCoMo generated JPY 4.4 trillion in annual revenue, down marginally from JPY 4.5 trillion recorded in 2014. The Company’s telecommunications services account for the majority of the Company’s annual revenue, with voice revenue and packet communications revenue representing 20.2% and 42.3% of total 2015 revenue respectively.
Our team
info: Kazuhiro was named President and Chief Executive Officer of NTT DoCoMo in 2016. He has also served as a member of the board of directors since 2011. Yoshizawa is a long-serving NTT Group employee, having first joined the group in 1979, after graduating from Iwate University with a bachelor’s degree in Engineering. He has served in a number of roles within the Company, including several senior executive roles, such as Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Security Officer, Chief Privacy Officer, General Manager of the Structural Reform Office, and General Manager of the Corporate Strategy and Planning Department.
info: In 2016 Hiroyasu Asami (“Asami”) was named Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Security Officer, and Chief Privacy Officer at NTT DoCoMo, responsible for technology, devices, network, and information strategy. He has also served as a member of the board of directors since 2014. Asami first joined NTT Group in 1980, after graduating from the University of Waseda with a bachelor’s degree in Science and Engineering. He joined NTT DoCoMo in 2003 as Senior Manager of the Ubiquitous Business Department, having held a number of positions in the broader NTT Group. He has since held a number of senior positions within the Company, including General Manager of the Corporate Strategy and Planning Department, Executive General Manager of the Smart-life Business Division, General Manager of the Smart Communication Service Department, and General Manager of the Content and Customer Relations Department.
info: Seizo was appointed to the position of Executive General Manager of NTT DoCoMo’s Research and Development Innovation Division in 2014, retaining his roles as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, which he has held since 2012. Onoe has also served as President of research and development arm DoCoMo Technology since 2015. Onoe joined NTT Group in 1982, after graduating from Kyoto University’s Graduate School of Engineering with a master’s degree in Electronic Science and Engineering. He has held numerous management positions within NTT DoCoMo and the broader NTT Group, including General Manager of the Radio Network Development Department, General Manager of the Research and Development Centre, General Manager of the Radio Access Network Development Department, and General Manager of the IP Radio Network Development Department.