Experience and selling points
Hiroshi Kawakami
The differences in outlook and approach between domestic and foreign telecommunications firms as regards approach to customers are as stark as night and day in Japan. Despite such gaping differences, there are actually only a limited number of professionals with adequate experience in this field in Japan, which is why I believe I can be of service to you.
Telecommunications in Japan began with NTT (under the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications), which then underwent a transformation after the entry of private-sector firms. However although all Japanese carriers publicly declare that their doors are open to overseas firms, in reality this is still not the case. This became evident during my work with several voicemail systems (call answering services for ordinary users; at NTT this includes Catch Phone II service used under ordinary circumstances and Disaster Recovery Service for emergency contact services; at DoCoMo and KDDI it includes mobile call answering). Finally though, the system I worked on that were delivered to central offices of the above clients as the first node system became major revenue earners for each of them.
I worked on the following projects while at Openwave:
KDDI (AU) mobile browser software; browser software for NTT and JT:
These products reached annual contract sales of approximately 10 billion yen.
I worked on the following projects while at Clarent:
Delivery of VoIP equipment and infrastructure to NTT Communications, NTT-WT, NTT-WN, and KDD: a total of ten systems delivered as the exclusive supplier to NTT and ten systems delivered to KDD
Products delivered by Clarent to AT&T Jens (now Jens) as its exclusive supplier
I worked on the following projects while at Boston Technology (now Comverse):
Delivered 50 voicemail systems to NTT (Catch Phone II), at a price of 300 million yen per system for a total of 15 billion yen. This system was used by NTT for disaster recovery. For this project, NTT received disaster recovery subsidies from the Japanese government of approximately 66 billion yen following the Hanshin earthquake and fire.
Delivered 24 voicemail systems to NTT DoCoMo for call answering service use, at a price of 300 million yen per system for a total of 7.2 billion yen. Also sold approximately 1.5 billion yen in related maintenance services. Cumulative DoCoMo’s revenue based on these systems totaled 12 billion yen - with a monthly option charge of 300 yen - plus approximately 6 billion yen in air time charges. This network enabled DoCoMo to charge air time even when its mobile phones could not connect.
Sold 20 similar systems to KDDI for call answering service use, at 300 million yen per system for a total of 6 billion yen. Since most maintenance was conducted in-house, maintenance services worth approximately 500 million yen were sold.
For most issues, the topic of most concern was overcoming differences in handling and in outlook between Japan and the United States, as well as differences in equipment specifications between the two countries. Satisfying all customer requirements leads to a decline in a company's profitability. At the same time, decreased customer satisfaction makes it difficult to extract further business from the customer later on. Customer satisfaction can be increased by working as an intermediary between overseas vendors and Japanese customers, to ensure increased revenues and profits for the company as well as building a structure that will enable the customer to receive the same levels of service and support it would receive from a Japanese vendor.
In general, companies such as NTT, DoCoMo, and KDDI have a strong tendency to use their own products unchanged, wherever possible, because they feel that while overseas firms may offer extremely strong products, their maintenance and support systems are weaker than those of Japanese firms. In order to overcome such differences it would appear essential to work both on relationship-building and a 24-hour customer support system.
Owing to the experience garnered at each telephone operator, I have managed to build up an extensive network of contacts. In addition, at the Maintenance Group of NTT International - a member of the NTT group of companies - I worked to build a maintenance and support structure that could cope with any eventuality.
My duties in previous jobs lay both with increasing customer satisfaction and securing repeat orders, and this I managed by establishing a focus that gives top priority to customers' on-site needs and providing the required maintenance and support structure. Such a philosophy enabled me to bridge the gap between U.S. and domestic firms.
I think that the minimal requirements for success in the telecommunications industry necessarily include a network of contacts within the industry, the ability to make technologies understandable, a maintenance system, an approach that tackles any issues head-on, and provision of information on the Japanese industry to headquarters overseas. I look forward to having the opportunity to put the experience I have gained to date to the benefit of your company.
実績及びセールスポイント
川上 博
通信業界において、外資企業と日本企業の感覚、顧客に対する対応の違いは両極端ではないかと思います。その格差を埋める事が可能な人材は、日本において非常に限られていると思いますが、私がその中の一人と自負しています。
日本の通信は電電公社（郵政省）により開始され、そして民間会社として再スタートし、現在の形態なりましたが、キャリア各社とも広く外資系企業には、広く門戸を開放していると公言してますがまだまだ日本の会社に様な状態ではありません。私が手がけたボイスメールシステム（一般ユーザーには留守番電話となりＮＴＴでは通常時にはキャチホーン２として災害時には緊急連絡用となり、ドコモ・ＫＤＤＩでは携帯留守番電話）に置いても同様の問題が多発いたしましたが、最終的には電話局舎内に設置する装置としては、始めて金銭を生む装置となり各社にとって多大な収入源となりました。
下記はオープンウエーブ在職中の実績です。
KDDI（AU）携帯端末ブラウザーソフト、NTT、JT用ブラウザーソフト
総年間契約額約１００億円を達成。
下記はクラレント在籍中の実績です。
NTTコミニュヶション、NTT－WT, NTT－WN, 旧KDDへVoIP装置及びインフラ納入NTTへは他社を抑え独占納入 計１０システム 旧KDD １０システム
AT&T Jens(現ジェンズへクラレント本社よりにて独占納入
下記はボストンテクノロジー（現コンバース）在籍中の実績です
ＮＴＴ（キャッチホーン２）ではボイスメール装置５０システム、１システム単価３億円
計１５０億円となります。 ＮＴＴでは本装置を災害対策用装置として阪神大震災のフォローとして政府より災害対策助成金約６６０億円を支給されました。
ＮＴＴドコモでは留守番電話機能としてボイスメール装置２４システム、１システム３億
円、 計７２億円となり保守費用として約１５億円を販売。 ドコモの本装置売り上げは手数料月額３００円での累計１２０億円プラス約６０億円の回線使用料となり、携帯電話が繋がらない場合でも回線使用料を取れるネッワーク構築が確保されました。
ＫＤＤＩも同じく留守番電話機能として、２０システム、１システム３億円にて計６０億円保守費用は大半を自社内で行う為、約５億円の販売となりました。
多くの問題の中でも、特に日米の対応、感覚、装置仕様の日米格差を埋める事が最大課題でした。顧客の要求を全て満足させれば、会社としての利益率低下を招き、顧客の満足度を下げれば、その後の展開が出来にくくなります。外資系ﾍﾞﾝﾀﾞｰと日本の顧客の間に入り、会社としての増収増益を確保し、顧客に取っては、日本企業並の対応、サポートが受けられる体制を作る事が顧客の満足度向上となります。
ＮＴＴ，ドコモ、ＫＤＤＩ等の企業は一般的に、外資系企業に対しては“非常に良い製品を持っているが、保守体制・サポート体制は日本企業に比べ弱いと感じており、できれば自分達の製品をそのまま使って欲しい”と言う意向を強く持っております。このような状況を打破するには、人間関係の親密化、並びに問題となっている24時間顧客サポートの体制作りが不可欠と思われます。
幸いにして、私は過去の実績を通して各電話回線会社に強力な人脈を有しております。
また、保守・サポート体制もＮＴＴ系列ｸﾞﾙｰﾌﾟのＮＴＴインターナショナル内に保守グループを確立しており、どの様な状況下に置いても対応出来る状況を作って参りました。
現場第一主義と保守・サービス体制の確立が出来れば、日米格差のかなりの部分が解消され、顧客満足度も上がり、リピートオーダー確保に繋がって参りました。
通信業界にて、成功を勝ち取る為には、業界での人脈、技術説明力、保守体制、問題を即解決しようとする姿勢、海外本社への業界情報の提供等が行われれば、最低限の成功に近づく事が可能となると考えています。私の今迄のキャリアが貴社にてお役に立てれば、是非とも頑張ってみたいと思っております。
