SoftBank Strengthens Partnership with Twilio, Unveiling New Reseller Agreement

Carrier-CPaaS provider alliance to deliver advanced cloud-based API service for businesses looking to improve engagement with Japanese customers starting from October 16

SoftBank Corp. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer: Junichi Miyagawa, herein referred to as “SoftBank”) and Twilio Inc. through its affiliate Twilio Japan G.K. (Twilio Inc. Head Office: California, USA, CEO: Jeff Lawson; Twilio Inc. and Twilio Japan G.K. hereinafter collectively referred to as “Twilio”) (NYSE: TWLO)  have agreed that SoftBank will carry Twilio's cloud-based communication Application Program Interface (“API”) service in the Japanese market. SoftBank plans to provide the service to domestic organizations in an initial launch from October 16, 2023, with full-scale provision of the Service, including maintenance and operational support in Japanese, starting around January 2024. 

Twilio, the customer engagement platform that drives real-time, personalized experiences for today’s leading brands, provides a cloud-based service that makes it easy for private, public, and non-profit organizations to implement communication functions such as voice calls, SMS, and chat into their business applications via APIs. When adding communication functions to their services or applications, organizations can easily add these functions and contact customers directly using Twilio's platform, rather than needing to build a mechanism from scratch. 

As part of the agreement, SoftBank will offer Twilio’s services to more customers in Japan through SoftBank's sales channels, which have a wide and strong domestic corporate customer base. SoftBank will also establish a 24/7 and 365 day maintenance and operation support service in Japanese (available from January 2024). Customers using Twilio’s cloud voice service will also be able to use 050 numbers, landline numbers (0AB-J numbers), and 0120/0800 toll-free numbers, throughout Japan. In addition, the company will consider linking Twilio with various SoftBank corporate services in the future.

SoftBank and Twilio have been working together on the DX (Digital Transformation) of communication in Japan, and since May 2022, Twilio Japan LLC has been connected to SoftBank's landline network to provide a cloud voice service that can be used with landline phone numbers (0AB~J numbers) throughout Japan by connecting to SoftBank's fixed-line telephone network. *

SoftBank and Twilio will support the overall communications infrastructure in Japan for connecting organizations and customers by building business communication environments tailored to customers' needs and creating more convenient work environments, thereby helping Japanese public, private, and non-profit organizations accelerate their digital transformation and better compete and grow in the digital economy.

For more service information：https://www.softbank.jp/biz/services/platform/twilio/

*This service will be presented and exhibited at "SoftBank World 2023" hosted by SoftBank Corp. and SB C&S Corp. Please click here for the schedule and other details.