SOFTBANK

() is a leading Japanese telecommunications and media corporation, with operations in broadband, fixed-line telecommunications, e-Commerce, Internet, broadmedia, technology services, finance, media and marketing, and other businesses.
SoftBank was established in Tokyo, Japan on September 3, 1981, and had a market capitalisation of approximately US$32.8 billion at 28 February 2006.
SoftBank's corporate profile includes various other companies such as Japanese broadband company Cable & Wireless IDC, cable company BB-Serve, and gaming company GungHo Online Entertainment. Additionally, it has various partnerships in Japanese subsidiaries of foreign companies such as Yahoo!, E
★ Trade and Morningstar.
Various media outlets have reported that Softbank and Apple Computer are jointly developing a 3G mobile phone with a built-in iPod player for the Japanese market.[1] [2] [3]

Contents

Timeline

External links

Timeline

★ January 28, 2005 SoftBank becomes the owner of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, a Nippon Professional Baseball team.

★ March 17, 2006 SoftBank announces its agreement to buy Vodafone Japan, giving it a stake in Japan's $78 billion mobile market.

★ Early April, 2006 Softbank completed the purchase of 23% of Betfair, an Internet betting exchange.

★ October 1, 2006 Vodafone Japan changes its corporate name, mobile phone brand name, and its mobile phone domain name to SoftBank Mobile, SoftBank, and softbank.ne.jp respectively. [4]

External links

★ SoftBank Corporation

★ Masayoshi Son AXA Talents (www.axa-im-talents.com) (August 1 2006)