SoftBank to slash upfront costs for bike-sharing operators
TOKYO -- SoftBank will offer information technology geared to the sharing economy, starting with a way to dramatically lower costs for launching bicycle-sharing services.
The Japanese telecommunications giant will leverage "internet of things" technologies and its own mobile communications network to push such products and services as remotely controlled keys and reservation-making smartphone apps.
SoftBank will launch a low-cost service in November for operators of bike-sharing businesses. The company has developed hardware to function as remote keys and for entering passwords to unlock the bikes.
It has also prepared smartphone apps for reserving and paying for use of the bicycles, as well as a cloud-based system for managing memberships.
GPS tracks how many bicycles are at each station so that prices can be set flexibly, with temporary discounts at stations with many parked bikes.
Bike-sharing businesses typically make an initial investment of upwards of 100,000 yen ($960) per bicycle to introduce remotely controlled keys and information systems for lending. By using the cloud and other advanced IT, SoftBank can offer a service entailing an initial investment of less than 10,000 yen per bike.
The plan is to later broaden to other types of sharing, including for electric scooters, and to expand overseas with related services.