Top of the big era

After considering many aspects, Sun Zhengyi decided to accept Zhou Buqi's plan.

In the previous life, without Zhou Buqi's participation, Japan's mobile phone industry actually experienced similar changes. Unable to withstand the pressure from Apple, SoftBank opened its iPhone agency rights to KDDI in 2011 due to its own competitive pressure.

As for industry leader NTT, it is not so lucky.

It wasn't until the contract between Apple and SoftBank expired in 2013 that NTT was finally qualified to sell iPhones. However, the day lilies are cold!

NTT has been left behind by KDDI and SoftBank in the smartphone field.

You know, smart phones can make a lot of money!

Smartphones have richer gameplay and require more data consumption. For operators, they can charge more consulting fees from users.

In terms of market size, NTT is the largest operator in Japan, but in terms of company profits, NTT only ranks second. Entering the era of smartphones, although the total number of KDDI users is less than half of NTT, due to its efforts in smartphones, its profits surpassed NTT and became the number one in the industry!

After SoftBank's exclusive iPhone distribution agreement expired, NTT learned from the experience and decided to implement internal sales changes to regain its own territory.

Then, NTT launched the "Tower" strategy that made the entire Japanese mobile phone industry sad, heartbroken, crying and regretful.

In fact, this is another way of saying the "TT strategy" designed by Zhou Buqi.

It is an attempt to improve NTT's management efficiency and provide consumers with better services through this streamlined and back-to-basics approach, thereby reviving NTT's business.

Facts have proved that the new strategy is more successful.

NTT quickly regained its share of the smartphone market.

However, such a decision dealt a fatal blow to the Japanese mobile phone industry!

In the first decade of the 21st century, Japan's mobile phone industry was extremely developed. The number of mobile phone manufacturers, wonderful designs, and rich patents were among the highest in the world.

It is no exaggeration to say that around the i-mode wireless system, in the ten years from 2001 to 2010, Japan had the most mature mobile phone industry system in the world.

However, in the next era, it will be completely finished!

One by one, they are basically dead.

In addition to the fact that the industry is too big and mature, and the transformation is too difficult, another very important reason is that the operators have made a mistake.

Just like the "TT strategy" that Zhou Buqi painstakingly researched.

When operators sell mobile phones, they only focus on promoting two major brands. Mobile phone sales in Japan mainly rely on operators.

If operators continue to engage in Top2, it will inevitably lead to a sharp decline in sales of other brands of mobile phones.

Without a market, what’s the use of a good design? No matter how good the technology is, what’s the use? The market is the source of living water. Without the source, nothing can happen.

Japan's mobile phone industry is completely ruined.

Including NEC, the mobile phone brand with the highest sales volume in Japan, which has been the most popular mobile phone in Japan for ten consecutive years, it cannot withstand this momentum.

Under the new Top 2 strategy in the smartphone industry, giants like NEC cannot hold on for even two months. The new strategy was launched in July, and in September, NEC officially announced that NEC would completely withdraw from the smartphone market.

This is a signal.

The Japanese mobile phone industry has completely lost ground and is finished.

Many people know that Nokia and Motorola were doomed by the impact of smartphones. In fact, Japan was even worse. Japan's originally impenetrable mobile phone industry has completely disintegrated and collapsed in the new era.

In the previous life, the cake was divided between Apple and Samsung.

In this life, Zhou Buqi has to work harder. If he can't take away Apple's share, he must at least take over Samsung's share.

However, it's not easy for him to take the lead in this kind of thing.

Killing the Japanese mobile phone industry is not a good reputation. It may be famous domestically and everyone will applaud it, but in the international market, it is a cruel capital wolf.

Let Son take the lead!

The reconciliation between SoftBank and KDDI is a major strategic matter for SoftBank Group. It should be him who comes forward to meet with the big boss of KDDI and sit down and talk.

Zhou Buqi felt that he should keep a low profile and hide his merit and fame.

Withdraw first!

I made an agreement with Masayoshi Son in the morning and got on the plane in the afternoon and flew directly to London!

There are also big things waiting for him to decide in London, and the EMI record case can be concluded.

On the plane, Zhou Buqi received a call from Zhou Shaoning. His tone was a little depressed, "I just finished talking to the people at Apple and there is some trouble."

"Huh? Apple is unwilling to cooperate?"

Zhou Buqi was a little surprised. The stakes have been clearly stated, but Apple is still unwilling? Could it be that Zhou Shaoning was too low-level and couldn't meet Steve Jobs?

If it didn't work out, he would personally go to the hospital to visit Jobs and talk to him.

Zhou Shaoning said: "No, Apple very much hopes to cooperate with Asda, but... I have talked with Cook. He is willing to have a deeper cooperation with Asda, not because he wants Asda to become a member of the Android camp." It’s because Apple is interested in the entire supply chain that Asda has built in China.”

Zhou Buqi didn't believe it, "Just listen to this. I don't believe Apple can be so confident."

Zhou Shaoning said: "However, it is true that they attach great importance to the supply chain. I have evaluated that if all iPhones are purchased from domestic suppliers, the cost may be reduced by 25%."

Zhou Buqi said: "Well, the iPhone supply chain system was built by Cook. It's not surprising that he wants to further optimize and improve it."

"So Apple is interested in cooperating with Asda, but they are very resolute about a clause I proposed and will not agree to anything!"

"Which clause?"

"This is the requirement for bundling iPhone and Aster under the 'TT strategy' you designed and being selected into the Top 2 together."

"What's the reason?"

"The reason is very strong. Apple attaches great importance to the reputation of the iPhone. They will not even invite celebrities to endorse the iPhone, but ask Steve Jobs to come forward. Because celebrities often appear in negative news, which will affect the brand image of the iPhone. Apple is willing to cooperate with Ace However, they do not want to bundle the iPhone with Aster. They are worried that if Aster has an image crisis, the iPhone will be implicated.”

Zhou Buqi pondered for a moment, "Well, if you don't want to bundle it, don't bundle it. That's fine. If it is bundled, the explosive sales generated by Top 2 will definitely be a fatal blow to other mobile phone brands. By then, conspiracy theories will inevitably arise appeared, saying that Apple and Asda teamed up to destroy Japan’s mobile phone industry.”

"As for it?"

Zhou Shaoning is a little funny.

Zhou Buqi said easily: "The situation has changed now. There is no need for binding terms. It doesn't matter if Apple doesn't agree. We can just strive for other good conditions."

"No need?" Zhou Shaoning didn't know. "Does Sun Zhengyi have a different way of handling it?"

Zhou Buqi smiled and said: "You guessed it right, he is only willing to open the iPhone agency rights to KDDI and is not willing to cooperate with NTT. You know, KDDI is the second-ranked operator, its market share is not much higher than SoftBank, and it has no right to speak. Heavy. So we don’t need Apple’s support at all, just let SoftBank come forward. If KDDI wants to get the iPhone agency rights, it must accept the TT strategy and list iPhone and Aster as Top 2. They have no right to choose or negotiate. room."

Although Zhou Shaoning is the chairman and CEO of Asda, all his energy is devoted to the mobile phone business. However, he focuses more on the European and American markets.

The understanding of the Korean and Japanese markets is really inferior to that of Zhou Buqi.

Zhou Buqi has a high status and can easily communicate with Hyundai and SoftBank and grasp the most comprehensive market trends, but Zhou Shaoning cannot.

Therefore, in decision-making in the Korean and Japanese markets, we mainly rely on Zhou Buqi.

Zhou Shaoning also trusted him enough, "Can't you cooperate with NTT?"

Zhou Buqi said: "NTT can sell our mobile phones, but NTT will not cooperate with SoftBank. Moreover, NTT is a giant and the leader in the industry. Even if SoftBank opens the iPhone agency rights to NTT, I am afraid NTT will not be able to cooperate with us." It’s difficult to accept Top2’s arrangement unless Apple comes forward. NTT has the right to speak in the industry, but KDDI does not. If we just cooperate with KDDI, there is no need to tie it to the iPhone.”

"That's good." Zhou Shaoning breathed a sigh of relief, but then became worried again, "In a market without NTT, once NTT fully promotes Samsung, there will still be a lot of competitive pressure."

Zhou Buqi said: "According to the data provided by SoftBank, NTT's share in the smartphone sales market is only 20%. As long as it wins the top two choices from SoftBank and KDDI, it can suppress Samsung within two or three years."

"confirmed?"

"Um."

"Okay, we have reached an agreement with Apple. I will go to Tokyo to handle this matter."

"How are the terms with Apple?"

Zhou Shaoning said with a smile: "It's good. Except for the bundled terms, they can basically accept everything else. I guess it's the same as you said. Apple is also very dissatisfied with Google and Samsung. It wants to cooperate with Asda and provide Google with I’m putting on eye drops.”

"What are they?"

"The patent fee has dropped to $6 per phone. Educational discounts have also been added."

"oh?"

This was an unexpected surprise and was not part of Zhou Buqi's plan.

Zhou Shaoning is very concerned because it is related to the cost of Aster mobile phones. Originally, the group purchase on the campus network would not be able to sell at a high price. If many additional derivative expenses had to be incurred, Aisda's losses would be too great. He said with a smile: "Educational preferential terms, every unit sold in the campus group purchase will be sold to For a college student’s mobile phone, the patent fee is only $1.”

Zhou Buqi was very satisfied. "Apple's support for education is quite strong. Is there any more? How about the 'Manual' project? Can I enter Apple's official retail store?"

"Yes!" Zhou Shaoning knew that the big boss attached great importance to this product that revolved around the "instructions" for smartphone sales, so he was very determined during the discussion, "However, Apple's requirements are very high. It is okay to have instructions, but the quality must be Better yet... Apple said they would send designers to participate in the design, and we would bear the cost."

Zhou Buqi smiled and said: "As long as it doesn't interfere with the selection of the App recommendation list in the manual, that's a good thing!"