“I’ve sent you a fragrant short-message, did you smell it?“ This might soon be not a joke.The Japanese telecommunication group NTT has, in fact, announced this Monday that its new Mobile Fragrance Communication will be tested from April 10 to 20.

This new technology will enable consumer to download Fragrance Playlists together with visual animation and audio content to their mobile phones from the website of sister company NTT DoCoMo, and then remotely transfer them to a device through the phone’s infrared port.
The device contain a set of base fragrances which are mixed accordingly to the Playlist chosen which, in turn, can be edited and shared with others who subscribe to the service.
In the pilot test, monitors will be given a kit containing a mobile phone and fragrance device to use during the 10 days in order to complete afterwards a questionnaire and participate to a group interview. In this way NTT aim to understand consumers’ preferences and opinions of the fragrance design and usability.
Forthcoming NTT will develop a commercial version of the Mobile Fragrance Communication service which will include also ringtones, music and horoscopes combined with fragrances, and applications for housing, automotive, consumer electronics and videogame market.