Softbank: landmarks

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