Softbank, the financial results briefing session in the fiscal year ending March 2018."Strategy strategy" from the telecommunications company to AI, etc. - CAR WATCH

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"Ride share will grow rapidly and change the way of the automotive industry," he said.

　The SoftBank Group held a financial results briefing for the fiscal year ending March 2018 at a hotel in Tokyo.Among them, SoftBank Group's Chairman and President Masayoshi Son said that the SoftBank Group, which cannot be separated from his life, said that "AI, IoT, Smart robotics are the most interested in".He explained that from the communication business that has been placed as a foot, it will move to the new IT applicable range such as AI, Internet of Things, which symbolize ARM acquisitions.

　The SoftBank Group has already integrated the third-largest "T-Mobile" of the US industry, "T-Mobile", which has already been acquired a few years ago, with T-Mobile's parent company Germany.We have agreed to hand over to Telecom, and we are planning to list the domestic telecommunications carrier business company SoftBank Co., Ltd. (hereinafter SBKK), and although it continues to be involved in telecommunications business, the conventional communication business is core.It is likely to change dramatically from the group system.

　At the beginning of the financial results briefing, a explanation of the financial results for the fiscal year ending March 2018 was given.Sales were 9.15 trillion yen (up 3 %), operating income was 1,333.8 billion yen (up 27 %), and net income was 1,39 billion yen (down 27 %).Regarding the decrease in net income, Mr. Son said, "In the previous fiscal year, the gain in the stock of the stock is posted, and there is something that occurs only, such as the derivative loss of Alibaba stocks that will return in the future.He said that it would increase 226 %, "he said, except for its own shares.

　Mr. Son mentioned the strategy of the SoftBank Group and announced that last year we announced that we would promote the concept of “strategic strategies. It is often asked what it is, but in other words, it will be a strategic holding company.”He explained that the SoftBank Group will change its shape in the future.According to Mr. Son, a group strategy is a new company, and the company under the umbrella as a subsidiary (it seems that it does not have to have management rights), and by giving synergies for each company.It is a form of enhancing the value of.

"Many companies have stopped growing in 30 years. I decided to take this strategy because I wanted to make the SoftBank Group a 300 -year -old company in the new era of information revolution."He stated that it was a necessary strategy for the SoftBank Group to grow in the future.

　Originally, the SoftBank Group was positioned as a holding company of a business company SBKK, and was developing business as a well -known communication carrier.

　However, its shape has gradually changed, and SBKK has decided to be listed as a business company, and "I will have a unique CEO and operate it as an independent company in the future" (Mr. Son).The core company is still one of the core companies, but it will change its personality to one of the group companies.It is highly likely that it will be a company similar to Yahoo! JAPAN, one of the other core companies of the SoftBank Group.

　The other day, the SoftBank Group announced a few days ago that not only SBKK but also another subordinate communication carrier will substantially let go.The SoftBank Group merges with the 4th-largest mobile phone communication carrier "Sprint" in the United States, "T-MOBILE", and transferred its management rights to German Telecom, the parent company of T-Mobile.It was announced.With this merger, the SoftBank Group 27.It keeps 4%of stocks, but the management right is 41.He was handed over to German Telecom with 7%of shares and became the second largest shareholder.Executives will continue to dispatch, but the initiative will be held by German Telecom.

　In fact, this merger was lifted last year and has been broken once.At that time, the conditions on the German Telecom side were controlled by management rights, and it was broken without matching the SoftBank Group's conditions, which was a condition for equal or management rights.The fact that it was established this time means that the SoftBank Group was handed over.

　Son said, "It's a temporary shame that you have told you to maintain your management rights but let go, but you've decided that it would not be a shame if you could get a big value."He stated that he had decided to let go of Sprint and T-Mobile's merger rights from a long-term perspective.

　Son was asked what kind of changes in mind had changed, when he broke up last year and decided to merge even if he gave up his management rights this time, "In a nutshell, the group strategies, the vision fund was wonderful.With the beginning of the group strategies, interests have shifted to group strategies. The synergies obtained by the merger of Sprint and T-Mobile are large, and even though there are small compromises in between.I swallowed it. "Son's own interest has shifted from the telecommunications business to a new company called a larger group strategy, and even if Sprint loses the management right of the SPRINT, the greatest reason for acknowledging the merger.I explained that.

　As he promotes the strategy, Son is the most interested in the communication business.Son explained that he will continue to be involved in the information revolution through investment in businesses.

　Some new companies were introduced, but among them, ARM appeared as a top batter.ARM is a company that provides semiconductor design data to semiconductor manufacturers acquired by SoftBank Group in 2016.Designs and IP (intellectual ownership), such as CPUs and GPUs provided by ARM, are used by many semiconductor manufacturers.Most smartphones are based on ARM design/IP.

　Mr. Son said, "Although it is indispensable to be like a smartphone in your pocket, almost 100 % is based on ARM. Is there a product that is almost 100 % in your daily necessities ... 17?The number of shipments in the fiscal year is 20 % up by 20 %, and the world's population is 7 billion, so it is calculated that people around the world bought three alone.He emphasized that ARM is becoming an important business for SoftBank.

　Mr. Son said, "The ISIM, which is an SIM built into ARM's SoC in the future, will be implemented, which has already built -in SIM in the ARM chip with 80 % to 90 % of IoT, and IoT communication.It will be possible. In addition, the PROJECT TRILLIUM started by ARM will enable machine learning functions on the IoT device, and the IoT will automatically become smarter in the future. "He said that he is making a lot of investment and will continue to develop ARM's ecosystem.

　He also explained that the SoftBank Group is investing in Ridehare, such as Uber, and said, "Ride share will grow rapidly and change the way of the automotive industry. For many companies, Uber, DIDI, etc.SoftBank is investing, and it has already grown into a half -public transportation, with more than 35 million rides per day, and investing in riding shares such as Uber.He explained that it will be the strength of the SoftBank Group in the near future.

　Finally, Mr. Son said, "The strategy is a group of integrated groups. It is not unified the brand, and only the number one company is gathering in the world, regardless of the 51 % holding ratio.I will do it. It is the SoftBank Group that intentionally does this as an organizational theory, so it can be said that we have invented. You can prove whether this is right or not.Is only a history, and I will promote this model right, "he said, and expressed his strong determination to replace it with a new form of Softbank Group with Son's strong leadership.

　For the automotive industry, the SoftBank Group is becoming invisible in the sense of an ARM -based semiconductor that is essential for autonomous driving and a ride -shared company like Uber.The SoftBank Group is trying to transform into a domestic business correspondence business company only in Japan and the United States to a global complex that symbolizes ARM and Uber.It depends on Son's skill, but it is certain that it will be unprecedented by the automotive industry.