Nearly everywhere you look on the streets of Tokyo, people are using the latest innovation from NTT DoCoMo. It�s called �i-mode� � a cellphone service that gives users a continuous connection to the Internet and the ability to send and receive e-mail, check stock quotes, and conduct many of the same functions previously limited to personal computers.

"We have built a business out of enabling users � wherever they may be � to gain access to the Internet through cellular phones, without the need for a portable PC,� says Enoki Kei-ichi, NTT DoCoMo�s Managing Director, Gateway Business Department. �Such convenience, we believe, is what has made i-mode so successful. We are providing users with constant access to information from anywhere.�

For NTT DoCoMo, the technology foundation of i-mode is its i-mode server, which acts as the gateway to the Internet. The i-mode server is built on EMC Enterprise Storage�, UNIX servers, and Oracle databases.

"When we were designing our technology infrastructure, our number one priority was to ensure that we could deliver non-stop service,� says Enoki. �We are providing a communications service over a telephone and customers expect to be able to use their phones 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Customer expectations are extremely high.�