DoCoMo: Japan's Wireless Tsunami

Japan's NTT DoCoMo is known for its I-mode system: network and hardware technology that turns mobile phones into everything from game machines to Web browsers. This is the intriguing story of how DoCoMo, by targeting bleeding-edge applications and products such as wireless services for pets, was able to grow and prosper within the confines of traditional Nippon Telephone and Telegraph. Today DoCoMo is the world's second largest mobile phone operator. This isn't a scholarly business history but rather takes a more personal approach with chapter headings including "Love," "Fun," "Strength," and "Impatience." The name of the company, by the way, plays off the Japanese phrase Doko Demo, or "everywhere." A good read with plenty of lessons on strategic innovation.