News & Updates

Focusing on Building Business Relationships in Japan

By Dan Saks / Feb 19, 2018

As AppDirect’s co-CEO, I’ve had the opportunity to travel the globe and visit dozens of cities around the world. This week, I’m excited to make my first trip to Tokyo, but it’s more than just a personal milestone. For AppDirect, it marks an important commitment to growing our business in Japan, one of the world’s largest markets for cloud services.

Long before this visit, AppDirect has had a strong presence in Japan. In 2016, we launched a major partnership with the leading distributor of IT services in Japan—SoftBank Commerce and Service (C&S) Corp.—to distribute cloud services through its network of more than 10,000 Japanese resellers.

In 2017, we launched a Japanese website to educate the market and start more conversations about the immense potential to grow the digital economy in the region. In fact, cloud services spending in Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) is rising dramatically. Gartner predicts that cloud spending in the region will hit $11.5 billion USD this year, and Japan consistently ranks among the top markets for growth in cloud services.

Japan is well-known for its emphasis on relationship building, especially when it comes to creating successful businesses.

Japan is well-known for its emphasis on relationship building, especially when it comes to creating successful businesses. Its customs and culture, including its focus on face-to-face interaction as well as the importance of community and cooperation, have helped the country become a center for technological innovation—a fact that continues to hold true in the new era of the digital economy.

I look forward to being on the ground in Japan to grow the AppDirect team and help ensure the continued success of customers like SoftBank C&S in 2018 and beyond. I am also excited to continue cultivating the business relationships that will help move the global ecosystem for cloud services into the future.

Dan Saks is co-founder and co-CEO of AppDirect.