LIVE FROM MOBILE ASIA EXPO 2014: Japan’s NTT Docomo is plotting a move into smart clothing at the back end of this year – and is using Mobile Asia Expo to demonstrate how potential new products will work, the operator has told Mobile Asia Daily.

The clothes are created from material that enables bioelectrical signals to be stored and then processed in the cloud.  Docomo is looking for applications in the sports and healthcare markets to commercially exploit its work.

For instance, the clothing could record heartbeats and electrocardiograms and forward them to a system which manages the data remotely. This application opens up significant markets in the health sector such as patients with chronic ailments or the elderly. At the other end of the health spectrum, quantified self-movement is another possibility, as well as runners and other athletes.

Docomo is planning to offer services based on some of the smart clothing features within the next year, probably as soon as December 2014.

This week’s event will also see the operator demonstrating its M2M platform which is already used by several sectors, including automotive and construction.  It is also looking to branch out into other sectors.

Much M2M activity is focused on the enterprise but Docomo is also offering consumer services such as car navigation systems or pet monitoring services.

Finally, Docomo’s Mobizen service will be on show which allows users to remotely link their PCs and smartphones to transfer data and control applications. The service is designed for sales management and information distribution.

A separate demonstration of the related Smartphone Anshin Remote Support will show a screen being shared with users so that a Docomo helpdesk operator can remotely provide operational support.