DoCoMo / Google

1. Is DoCoMo wise to offer its existing mobile phone rivals access to FeliCa?

Yes. It appears that FeliCa will have an impact on consumers' lifestyles, so the larger the network is, the more useful it will be. Also, if DoCoMo is positioned correctly, it will be more profitable than if it owned exclusive rights to FeliCa.

2. Is search a winner-take-all business?

Yes - Search is a winner take all business. Although both MSN and Yahoo compete with Google, they are fundamentally different. MSN and Yahoo are in the portal business, while Google does not provide editorial content of any kind.

Electronic Arts in Online Gaming

Since the writing of the Electronic Arts Case the Sony Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Wii have been released and both have online gaming capabilities. What's your assessment of the current online gaming market?

I think that, contrary to my case writeup, Microsoft has gained the advantage over Sony in online gaming. Sony has improved its Xbox Live network to the point where it is the industry standard. The Xbox Live network can be easily accessed by users all over the world and now its competitors (Sony and Nintendo) are playing catch up. It appears that Microsoft was successful in creating a competitive advantage via a robust, subscription based online gaming network.

Netflix VOD

Since the publishing of this case, Netflix has entered the video on demand (VOD) market. What is your analysis of how Netflix has attempted to update their business model with VOD?

I think that VOD is the direction that Netflix has always had in mind. In that respect, they have set themselves up very well to compete effectively with the stand alone VOD providers.

As the issues of content and connectivity are resolved, Netflix will be in an excellent position to capitalize on its current customers and its ratings and recommendations system to seize a majority share of the VOD market.

However, there are technological barriers that will prevent the VOD market from surpassing (or coming close) to the DVD by mail market. Also, I imagine that due to the cost of licensing and possible bandwidth issues, it will take a significant amount of time for VOD to become an independently viable arm of the Netflix company.

P2P versus iTunes

Who will win the competitive battle between P2P file sharing networks and iTunes over the long run and why?

In the long run P2P file sharing networks will triumph over music retailers such as iTunes. This is because music retailers have been fighting a losing battle against file sharing networks since day one and based on usage data, there is no indication that things will change. Eventually, music retailers will have to embrace the free sharing of media files and develop new methods to profit from the music industry.

If the issue boils down to usage, P2P networks are the clear winner. The question then is, why doesn't the iTunes model work? Is it too expensive? Or too inconvenient? I think the model doesn't work because it relies heavily on copyright enforcement - something that past events have proven to be extremely difficult.

If copyright enforcement is not feasible then music retailers should shift their focus from providing content (mp3 files) to providing an experience. This includes music players and concerts. A shift in focus would not only allow artists to remain profitable, but it would also impact other industries that have traditionally fed off the music industry. Ticketmaster, I'm looking at you!