Landmarks
The following chronology is indicative only.
It covers -
- precursors
- beginnings
- the age of irrational exuberance
- life after the bubble
Context is provided by the broader communications and media timeline elsewhere on this site.
Precursors
1927 Ziff Davis founded in Chicago by William Ziff, Sr. and Bernard Davis
1957 Nippon Credit Bank established as Nippon Fudosan Bank
Beginnings
1981 Softbank Japan founded as distributor of personal computer software in Tokyo
1982 alliance with Joshin Denki in personal computer software retailing (2,800 stores throughout Japan)
1982 Ziff-Davis acquires PC Magazine
1982 Softbank expands into publishing
1983 product testing of over-the-counter software purchasing system for retail stores
1983 4,600 stores throughout Japan
1990 partnership with Novell, taking 25% of Novell Japan
1990 company name changed to Softbank Corp
1992 joint venture with Cisco Systems
1994 Softbank goes public
1994 David Filo & Jerry Yang at Stanford University start Yahoo!
1995 Softbank takes stake in exhibition department of Interface Corporate Group (COMDEX operator) for US$900m
1995 forms "Game Bank" with Microsoft
1995 takes stake in publishing arm of Ziff-Davis Communications
1995 takes stake in Unitech Telecom (China), expanding communication network operations into China
1995 buys Ziff-Davis Publishing for US$2.1bn
1996 takes stake in Yahoo!
1996 establishees joint venture Yahoo Japan Corporation
1996 Ziff-Davis Publishing establishes ZDTV broadcasting production company
1996 Softbank provides programming for MSNBC 24-hour news station from NBC and Microsoft
1996 takes stake in CyberCash
1996 partnership with News Corp (Softbank News Corp. Media) to provide digital satellite broadcasting to JSkyB
1996 Softbank and News team up for hostile 21% stake in Asahi National Broadcasting
1996 forms Cyber Communications inc joint venture with Dentsu
Irrational exuberance
1996 buys US-based Kingston Technology Company, PC memory products manufacturer, for US$2.1bn
1997 News and Softbank sell 21% Asahi National Broadcasting stake to Asahi for US$350m
1997 holds first Japan COMDEX
1998 restructures group with holding company and independent business operations
1998 partnership with News and Fuji TV in JSkyB satellite tv service
1999 establishes NASDAQ Japan, Inc. with National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD)
1999 consolidates e-commerce businesses in Softbank EC Holdings Corp
1999 takes US$400m stake in E*Trade
1999 sells Kingston Technologies
2000 consolidates internet infrastructure operations in Softbank Networks
2000 establishes Softbank Commerce Corp as vehicle for IT distribution business
2000 establishes BB Technologies Corporation to provide ADSL infrastructure services, technology development and support
2000 Softbank (48.87%) insurer Tokio Marine & Fire Insurance (14.99%) and leasing company Orix (14.99%) buy Aozora Bank, formerly the Nippon Credit Bank for around US$770m
Life after the dot-com bubble
2001 launches Yahoo! BB services, with portal for broadband content services
2001 announces alliance between Yahoo Japan and Sony Computer Entertainment Corporation to provide broadband network services
2001 Yahoo Japan and Nagoya Metallic Communications Corp. launch "BB Phone" service
2001 Softbank sells 3% of Yahoo! Inc for around US$300m to SBC Communications, reduce Yahoo stake to about 17%
2002 sells 10% of UTStarcom Inc for US$214m, reducing stake to 32%
2002 establishes BB Communications Corporation with Forval Telecom (sales agencies for BB phone)
2002 Club iT Corporation listed on NASDAQ Japan
2002 Best Denki, BB Technology Corporation and Softbank Commerce Corp jointly establish Best Broadband Corporation
2002 establishes Yamada BroadBand Corp. with Yamada Denki Group
2002 establishes Broadband Japan Corporation with Nojima Corp
2003 BB Technologies Corp, Softbank Networks Inc., Softbank EC Holdings and Softbank Commerce merge into Softbank BB Corp
2003 launch of "BB Cable TV" commercial services
2003 Softbank sells Aozora Bank stake for US$920m
2005 buys Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks professional baseball team
2005 Takafumi Horie's Livedoor makes hostile bid for Nippon Broadcasting System
2005 Softbank borrows 14.67% of voting rights in Fuji Television from Nippon Broadcasting System to thwart potential Livedoor move on Fuji
2006 Softbank agrees to buy Vodafone's Japanese mobile-phone unit for US$15.4bn
2006 sells 0.6% of Yahoo Japan for US$199m