Top of the Great Era

Chapter 1706 An Unallowable Dominance

When Kakao was first established, Ziwei Star invested 500 million US dollars, accounting for 60% of the shares.Jin Bunxiu's team invested a total of 150 million US dollars, plus a part of the management stock, holding the remaining 40% of the shares.

After evaluation, the valuation is about 800 million US dollars.

Only a year and a half later, Kakao has become the most eye-catching Internet start-up company in South Korea. Samsung threw an olive branch and wanted to invest 2500 million US dollars in Kakao, holding 20% ​​of the shares.

In other words, judging by the standards of Samsung's investment team, the market valuation of this company has reached 1.25 million US dollars!
However, this money cannot be taken casually.

Zhou Buqi's partner in South Korea is Hyundai Group. If Kakao wants to start the next round of financing, Hyundai should be the first choice.One of the purposes of coming to Korea this time is to solve this problem.

As a foreigner, Zhou Buqi is not interested in participating in the competition between Samsung and Hyundai. If he has a choice, he certainly hopes to have a good relationship with Samsung.

Samsung Electronics is the most important supplier of high-end mobile phone parts in the world, and even Microsoft and Apple have to be patient.

However, there is no need to be too concerned.

It's best if you can cooperate, and if you can't cooperate, you will be pulled down.

Asda and Samsung have launched a strong competition in the field of Android-based mobile phones. Samsung even took the initiative to act as a pioneer of Google and filed a patent lawsuit with Apple.

It is actually normal for such technology companies to copy back and forth.

The patent stick is often a tool used by giants to deal with small emerging companies.Even if there is a collision between giants and giants, most of the time it will not be brought to the courts. The public attention attracted by the lawsuit is too high, and the reputation of both parties may be discredited, and the risk is too great.

Things that can be solved by money are not problems, it is nothing more than a problem of profit distribution.

Sit down and talk, and it's settled.

The whole world can see that all smartphones at this stage are copying the iPhone, and Samsung is unwilling to spend money on Ping An, so choosing to go head-to-head with Apple in the United States requires great commercial courage.

Samsung has never lacked this thing, it is black-bellied and cold.

In the previous life, Samsung and LG teamed up with several technology companies in Baodao and set up a bureau together, which made the Japanese technology giants cheat in the choice of plasma screens and LCD screens.

Then, the electronics industry of Samsung and Formosa emerged suddenly, replacing Japan and entering the eyes of the world. It is against this background that HTC has become a world-class mobile phone giant.

At this time, Samsung's opponents have changed from Japanese companies such as Sony, Panasonic, and Hitachi to Taiwan's technology companies, and HTC is the first to bear the brunt!

On the surface, HTC was killed by Apple's patent lawsuit.

However, Apple's initial appeal was just for patent fees. HTC's annual revenue is nearly 100 billion U.S. dollars, and it pays Apple 1 million U.S. dollars in patent fees every year, which is nothing at all.

The problem lies in the competition behind the Android system and the Apple system.

Google needs a legal battle to draw the line between Android and iOS.Otherwise, Apple says that Android is plagiarizing every day, and there is no way to refute it.

A lawsuit can clear the sphere of influence and reduce the long-term blackmail from Apple to Google in the future.

Just like Apple and Microsoft back then, one of the most troublesome things for Microsoft in the early years was the patent dispute with Apple. The annual payment was not enough, and it had to bear the infamy.Later, Apple fell into a bankruptcy crisis, and Jobs returned to Apple, but he had no money to reorganize, so he went to Bill Gates to ask for money, on the condition that there would be no patent charges against Microsoft in the future.

With that money from Microsoft, Jobs led Apple's renaissance.

Now that Apple is in full swing, there is no chance to take advantage of it.

Google has no choice but to force it.

Fortunately, there is no need for Google to play in person. With the Android system, it is natural for younger brothers to submit their votes, and Samsung is the first to rush up.

At this time, HTC, as Android's first partner, how can it see Samsung get close? If HTC compromises with Apple, it will be safe for the time being, but it will be dangerous in the future.

Samsung took the initiative to file a lawsuit and performed brilliantly. If HTC does not keep up, Google will definitely have a strategic tilt in the future, and will regard Samsung as the first partner of Android, and HTC will fall behind.

There is no way, HTC wants to pay Apple, but it can't, so it can only force it.

But the problem came again.

The Samsung family has a big business and a solid family background.Even if it loses the lawsuit with Apple, it doesn't matter. Emergency public relations and emergency reconciliation are enough. With Samsung's super strength in the mobile phone supply chain, Apple dare not completely tear itself apart from Samsung. HTC can't do it. Once it loses the lawsuit, it will really have to enforce the court judgment and be cleared.

So HTC was killed by Apple's patent lawsuit. This is just a superficial phenomenon, and behind it is actually a cunning figure-Samsung.

After Samsung teamed up with Baodao's technology industry to defeat Japan's technology giants, it turned around and used its means to attack Baodao's technology industry.

Then, Samsung finally dominated the world's electronics industry and became an unshakable giant.

Fortunately, the United States is also unwilling to see Samsung's strength being too strong, which has caused Samsung to form a technological constraint on Silicon Valley.In the chip manufacturing industry, the focus is on supporting TSMC and to a certain extent curbing the development of Samsung's chip factory. This is why TSMC is so powerful after HTC.

In terms of company strength, there is actually not much difference between today's Asda and the previous HTC.

Now, Samsung has taken the initiative to challenge Apple and is going to initiate a patent lawsuit.

Do you want to follow Esta?
This is the fundamental reason why Zhou Buqi came to Korea this time.

Zhou Buqi wants to talk to the people from Samsung to see if he can find a reasonable solution that is good for both parties.Although the three-star Li family is cruel-hearted, Zhou Buqi also has an advantage, he is foresight.

Although Samsung is powerful, they don't know anything about the future. Although they have formulated a series of business plans for Apple and Asda, they don't know if they will be successful!
Maybe it will be successful, and Samsung's smartphone will surpass Asda to become the world's number one Android phone.Maybe it fails, and Samsung mobile phones will completely fade out of the mobile phone market like Motorola, Philips, and Ericsson.

For Samsung, it is also a big gamble.

If we sit down and talk, and reduce high-risk decisions to low-risk cooperation, the two sides may not be unable to reach a consensus.

For this reason, Zhou Shaoning also flew to Seoul from the United States.

Talk to Samsung together.

The results were bad.

What Estar means is that Estar and Samsung are cooperating to fight against Apple together.After all, in terms of the design of smartphones, both parties are similar, both are copying the iPhone, and the angle of plagiarism is also similar.

This joint fight against Apple, in the future, the two parties can also cooperate with each other in the design of mobile phones, authorize each other in design copyrights and technical patents, and share them appropriately in sales channels and supply chain systems.

In fact, Astar moderately gave up its own interests to persuade Samsung to cooperate.

Unexpectedly, Samsung refused.

Those with bare feet are not afraid of wearing shoes.

In the current smartphone market, Asda wears shoes, while Samsung wears bare feet.Samsung's ambitions are very high, and they are obviously not satisfied with the small favors that Esta gave them. They want to snatch the shoes that belong to Esta and wear them on their own feet!

That leaves nothing to talk about.

One shot and two parts!
Want to invest in Kakao?

Go dream!

Zhou Buqi has a mansion in the Gangnam district of Seoul, and his neighbor is Zheng Zhongchun, an important figure in the Zheng family who has dealt with him before.After the negotiation with Samsung ended unhappy, Zhou Buqi invited Zhou Shaoning to his home.

Zhou Shaoning was worried, "The situation is unfavorable!"

Zhou Buqi said, "What's the reaction from Google?"

Zhou Shaoning said: "I just came from the United States, and Google is negotiating with Samsung. I guess this is why Samsung doesn't negotiate with us and has a very strong attitude. Maybe it's an internal agreement with Google."

Zhou Buqi nodded, "Now we have to recognize the situation. Android has developed and has become the most popular mobile phone operating system on the market. Android has enough confidence, and Astar will continue to work like it did in the past two years. It’s no longer possible to eat alone.”

Zhou Shaoning was not reconciled, "Asda has introduced investment from Google."

"How much is this?"

Zhou Buqi shook his head.

Google has invested $12 billion in Asda, holding 10% of the shares.However, the current technology industry is changing rapidly, day by day.

That is to say, Zhou Buqi made a decisive decision and agreed to introduce Google's capital without the slightest hesitation, which can be regarded as a certain degree of binding between Asda and Google.

Otherwise, if you hesitate for a year or so and let Google invest, Google will not vote.

At the beginning, Android hadn't started yet, and Google was also worried. In order to prevent Asda from defecting to other operating system camps, it invested money.

Android is now number one in the world, and the situation has reversed.It's not Google begging mobile phone manufacturers, it's mobile phone manufacturers begging Google, and even Samsung has to obediently submit a nomination certificate.

Zhou Buqi made a conclusion for this: "This is the strategic level for Google to maintain competitiveness."

For Google, how can it protect its own interests to the greatest extent?How can we protect the vitality of the Android operating system?Just can't bet everything on one company.

Aster mobile phones are so good that now [-]% of Android phones in the world are from Aster.

This is not a good thing for Google.

In this way, Google will be threatened, and Astar may turn its back on customers and rely on its own strong market share to threaten Google in turn.

This is why Google will be very happy to reach a deep strategic cooperation with Samsung.

The Asda family cannot be allowed to dominate.

The same is true of HTC in the previous life. HTC thought that Google was behind it, so it plucked up the courage to file a lawsuit with Apple.As everyone knows, Google does not want HTC to dominate at all. It is best for Samsung and HTC to share the market equally, which is in Google's best interest.

Of course, some surprises happened later that Google didn't want to see.

Samsung is too fierce, getting stronger and stronger.

HTC is too weak, killed by Apple.

The final result is that Samsung replaced HTC and became a dominant player.Later, Google urgently adjusted its strategy, established good relations with Chinese mobile phone manufacturers, encouraged Huawei, Xiaomi, Transsion, OV, ZTE and other manufacturers to develop overseas, and sold most of Motorola’s assets to Lenovo at a low price. The company can develop and compete with Samsung.

Unfortunately, for various reasons, it was not very successful.

It has formed a situation where Samsung dominates and dominates the market.Now, Samsung can really use its strong market share to "threat" Google.Google can only break its teeth and swallow in its stomach, accept Samsung's threatening cooperation terms, and pay Samsung billions of dollars every year to ensure that there will be no products that compete with its own product business on Samsung mobile phones.

Zhou Buqi has a very firm judgment, "What Google has to do now is not to help Aster, but to suppress Aster, so that Samsung's smartphones can form a competitive market structure with Aster."

"This..." Zhou Shaoning opened his eyes wide in disbelief, "Google and Asda are strategic partners!"

Zhou Buqi hummed: "In this regard, there is a higher strategy."

Zhou Shaoning took a deep breath, "Why didn't you say it before?"

Zhou Buqi said angrily: "You think I can understand everything?"

Zhou Shaoning laughed and said, "You are a business genius."

Zhou Buqi said: "Even if you are a business genius, it is impossible to understand everything accurately. I suddenly figured it out from Chaowan Commune."

Zhou Shaoning was surprised, "The toy factory?"

"Yes, a toy factory that makes blind boxes." Zhou Buqi explained this, "Chaowan Commune has now signed blind box agreements with many European giants, and many teams will start selling Chaowan Commune at the beginning of the new season. Blind boxes. This summer, the domestic factories have to hurry up production and urgently ship. Because it is an emergency, some suppliers have raised prices on the spur of the moment."

Zhou Shaoning asked, "What's going on?"

This is what Wu Yu complained to Zhou Buqi, and there is no need to hide it. Zhou Buqi said: "Because it is an emergency project, a carton supplier raised prices on the ground, causing a certain degree of management chaos. Later, Shi Jing Mei used his family's strong relationship in Shanghai to send taxation, industry and commerce, fire protection and other departments to jointly enforce the law and investigate the bottom line of the carton factory. The carton factory backed down and begged for mercy."

Zhou Shaoning shook his head, "Administrative means are not desirable, we still have to start with the system. Especially in the international market, it is impossible to get special government rights to take care of it in disguise. Many state-owned enterprises have suffered a complete failure overseas, and basically have this problem."

Zhou Buqi said: "Yes, I gave Chaowan Commune a very simple idea at the time, which was to add another carton supplier and provide incentives for the difference in order quantity. If you want to get more orders, just There must be better quality and price service."

Zhou Shaoning also uses a similar idea to manage the mobile phone supply chain. In fact, it is to maintain competition and avoid monopoly.

However, from this case, he also understood the logic of Boss Zhou's thinking, and said with emotion: "Yes, empathize with others and think differently. Chaowan Commune must prevent suppliers from threatening, and Google will definitely prevent Estar from backlash. Google It is necessary to reduce the market share of Asda and introduce more competitors to protect its own rights and interests.”

Zhou Buqi said: "So, when it comes to handling the lawsuit with Apple, we have to change our thinking."

(End of this chapter)