Reborn in 08, a heretical cultivator starting a business

Chapter 136: Taking BAT by the throat from the opposite direction!
The architecture of future OS 1.0 versions doesn't need to be very advanced.

Launching HarmonyOS's microkernel and distributed architecture directly in 2008 was unrealistic; it was too advanced and the hardware couldn't handle it.

Based on Linux, it was designed as a prototype of a microkernel architecture for future upgrades.

The focus of OS 1.0 in the future will be on optimizing performance, power consumption, security, and smoothness!

You don't need to get 80 points; getting 40 points is enough to beat future versions of Android 1.0 to Android 2.3.

There's no way around it; Android, which has only been around for a few years, is just too terrible.

Android phones can't even last two years; they get so laggy after just one year that you have to reflash them.

Even after two years, reflashing the phone didn't work, and I had to get a new one.

That's why Android phones these days are called disposable phones.

Of course, iOS wasn't great when it first started out, but with Android and Symbian at the bottom, iOS became a huge hit.

It's all set off by peers.

Wang Junshan's plan is simple: the Future OS, which will be launched next year, will crush Android.

If the future OS, which will be launched the year after next, can outperform iOS at the same time, then it will be a sure thing.

As a long-time R&D director, Wang Junshan was well aware of the weaknesses and drawbacks of Android and iOS in their early stages.

If these issues are avoided, future operating systems will be able to stand out.

As for applications, that's not a problem either.

In the next year or two, a few apps will already be winning in the smartphone market, and consumers won't be picky at all.

The competition among mobile phones is not about performance or configuration; everyone's performance is weak.

In addition, the Android system is a bottleneck, so even with a Qualcomm processor, it can't fully utilize its performance and is prone to lag.

MediaTek's 1999 can also be a hot seller.

Using the Qualcomm S1 processor would have cost 2000 in 2009, and the selling price would have to be 3000+.

Don't be fooled by the price difference of over a thousand between 1999 and 3000+; the sales volume can be ten times different!
A mobile phone priced at 1999 will undoubtedly be a powerful tool for future operating systems to quickly seize the market!
Wang Junshan's only worry was that MediaTek in 2009 was too bad. It was still the king of feature phones and couldn't drive smartphones, so it was doomed!

Wang Junshan was a sophomore in college at that time, so I really can't remember those details.

If MediaTek can't handle it, then Qualcomm's flagship chip Snapdragon S1 will definitely have no performance issues, but the total cost of the device will be around 2000, and the price will have to start at 3000, which is more suitable for future phones.

1999 was impossible.

Unless Wang Junshan, like Lei Jun, releases a future phone with the Snapdragon S1 by the end of next year, priced at 1999 yuan, and uses scarcity marketing, selling tens of thousands of units at a loss to make everyone rush to buy them.

By the middle of the following year, the Qualcomm S2 was released, and the Qualcomm S1 saw a significant price reduction, lowering costs. Then, large quantities were purchased for production and distribution.

However, such an operation would result in very low shipment volumes, damage one's reputation, and be detrimental to the future promotion and development of the OS.

Then we have to consider other options.

Texas Instruments' is also not good. Its performance is even stronger than Qualcomm's S1, and its price is not low. In addition, it integrates its own baseband, so its overall cost is higher than that of Qualcomm's S1.

Therefore, the best option is the Meizu M8 solution, which uses a Samsung processor and baseband.

Samsung's cost is slightly higher than MediaTek's, but much cheaper than Qualcomm's, and its performance is also much stronger than MediaTek's, which is more than enough.

If the quantity is large enough, reaching 1999, there's no problem at all!
The supply chain is also relatively stable.

One of the reasons for the success of the Meizu M8 was its use of a Samsung chipset, which kept costs under control. With a price of 2380 yuan, the profit margin was considerable, and sales were also quite good.

If they don't get sued and their production capacity catches up, they'll be truly invincible.

However, Wang Junshan will avoid all of these.

There are also mobile phone patents that need to be planned in advance.

If we only sell domestically in the early stages, it doesn't matter if we don't have patents; nobody cares.

However, if you want to sell it globally, you still need to stock up on some.

Especially now that patents are worthless, it's a great opportunity to buy them at rock-bottom prices.

Furthermore, with the outbreak of the financial crisis, many core patent holders and institutions were on the verge of bankruptcy and had to cash out at low prices, making it even easier to harvest them at bargain prices!

Wang Junshan had a complete plan and quickly made arrangements.

Hardware development can wait; we can follow the lead of Meizu M8.

However, patent acquisitions must be done in advance.

Actually, Future Technology has been feeling quite frustrated lately.

WeChat and Vipshop dare not expand aggressively, for fear of being targeted and severely punished by BTA (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent)!
They can only survive in the cracks.

The reason is that the future lacks sufficient technological foundation and has no basis to compete with BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent)!
Wang Junshan has been pondering what kind of foundation he should build to compete with BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent).

How can we avoid being easily crushed by BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent)?

Could it even effectively counter BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) and make them wary?
Short videos and the like are unrealistic.

There are no smartphones yet, and 3G will be expensive and laggy for watching short videos next year. 4G won't be around for many years, so don't even think about watching short videos.

WeChat is useless. Before the rise of mobile internet, social networking among acquaintances had no future and actually needed financial support.

The only way out is mobile internet!
This is a new era, a new opportunity, and we can absolutely get a head start in future technologies!

In particular, smartphones and operating systems are the key gateways to the mobile internet!

It is also the way out for future technology!
It is also a means to counter BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent)!
Meizu is now shifting its focus to smartphones, and will release the Meizu M8 next year, ushering in the era of domestically produced smartphones.

Xiaomi was founded the year after next, launched MIUI, and launched the Xiaomi phone the year after that, thus beginning Lei Jun's grand ambitions.

Including OV, they all became giants by relying on smartphones, giants that even BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) dared not easily take on.

It's all too common for small businesses to make something that catches the eye of large companies, who then use the guise of investment to acquire core technologies and then use imitation to defeat the original.

Small businesses often struggle to protect their rights, and sometimes even the founders are dragged into legal trouble.

But as long as you make a good smartphone, have a certain user base, and control the mobile internet gateway, not to mention big companies, even BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) wouldn't dare to mess with you easily.

In the simplest terms, if big companies openly rob and harass them without any sense of ethics, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo can upgrade their systems and directly block the core software of BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent)!
If things escalate, even BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) won't be able to handle it.

The 3Q War was a prime example.

BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) respectively control the three core sectors of search, e-commerce, and social media.

Wang Junshan's future technology can also control the entrance to the mobile internet by making smartphones and operating systems!

This will give us the ability to compete with BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent), making them afraid to act recklessly!
If BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) dares to attack Future Technology, block WeChat, or copy "WeChat Farm," then Future Technology can use its future phones and future OS to block BAT's core software!
If we don't uphold martial ethics, then we'll all stop upholding them together.

If blocked, it would result in the loss of tens of millions of users, allowing competitors to quickly seize the market!
BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) will suffer heavy losses and cannot withstand the pressure!
The future of mobile phones and operating systems will be the key to competing with BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent)!
Let future technologies become the capital of super giants!
Wang Junshan made a decision: to first develop the future OS system.

At the same time, we are developing smartphones, with the high-end ones called "future phones," which use Qualcomm solutions.

For the lower-end models, switch to a sub-brand and use Samsung's solutions.

While ZTE, Huawei, Coolpad, and Lenovo were still making feature phones, and the iPhone was still figuring things out as they went along, Wang Junshan wanted to make a true smartphone and lead the future of smartphones!
We will treat all our competitors equally!
Unfortunately, without making smartphones and developing future operating systems, Wang Junshan lacks the confidence and qualifications to compete with BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent).

But once the OS develops and the number of users reaches tens of millions, then big companies like BAT will become very approachable.

Other app developers will also actively adapt to future OS systems!

With the integration of apps like WeChat, YouTuan, and Angry Birds into the future OS system, they can also develop better and earn more!
A virtuous cycle!
However, Wang Junshan didn't publicize this matter. Instead, he had Tang Jinghe rent an office floor in another technology park in the capital to develop an operating system.

You don't need many of these, 30-50 people are enough, but they need to be top-notch!
Tang Jinghe was very efficient; she recruited everyone in less than two weeks.

There are domestic elites as well as overseas Linux experts.

Everyone was very interested when they heard that they were going to develop a mobile operating system. They all felt it was promising and challenging.

Of course, the money Wang Junshan gave was also very generous.

And he has been personally leading the team to develop the future OS!

So much so that I didn't go home for the National Day holiday.

Furthermore, like Android, the future OS 1.0 will be developed based on Linux.

With Linux as a foundation, learning from Android, and with guidance from Wang Junshan, the development of the future OS went very smoothly.

As the full-stack R&D director, Wang Junshan is very familiar with iOS 26, Android 16, and HarmonyOS 5.0, which will be available seventeen years later.

Creating a future OS 1.0 that's similar to Android 2.2 isn't really that difficult.

The rest is just a matter of time!
If all goes well, the early version of the Future OS system should be available by the middle of next year!
The official version will be released at the end of the year, along with the 1999 mobile phone.

As for the supply chain?
That means we'll have to rely on the iPhone 3G and Meizu M8 to get by.

The emergence of these two phones solved the technical challenges and supply chain issues associated with capacitive touchscreens.

Wang Junshan would purchase from whichever supplier they used.

Taking advantage of what's readily available early on is undoubtedly the best approach.

The Meizu M8 also integrates Samsung's chipset solutions.

I just don't know if I'll get scolded by Chairman Huang!

Of course, Wang Junshan is also paying attention to the development of other businesses.

10 month 8 number.

After the National Day holiday, Wang Junshan convened a high-level meeting.

Each department reported on its work in turn.

As expected, with the addition of Jiang Fan and his three colleagues, Wang Junshan no longer needed to personally oversee the e-commerce business, which was able to develop rapidly.

Vipshop's revenue growth, in particular, is quite remarkable.

Although a unified warehouse management system is still under development, the number of product categories has increased significantly.

In particular, with the launch of the brand consignment model, many brands have taken the initiative to contact Vipshop to consign their products and cooperate.

In just half a month, Vipshop's SKUs increased by 15%!

And they are all reasonably priced.

These days, many brands have a lot of leftover stock or out-of-season products.

Instead of stockpiling goods in the warehouse, which takes up space and costs money, it's better to consign them to the nearby Vipshop warehouse for a clearance sale!

Vipshop doesn't require a deposit; it negotiates a bottom price with the brand and then launches a 30-50% discount promotion.

If any remaining stock still can't be sold, a limited-time sale with a 90% discount will be launched to clear out the inventory.

Once the product is sold, the payment is then transferred to the brand owner!
Many brands have also contacted Vipshop to consign their products, which are already halfway through their shelf life and will soon expire if they are not sold.

For example, food and beverages have a shelf life of 6 months. There are only 3 months left. If they are not dealt with soon, they will be close to their expiration date and will be even harder to sell.

Delivered directly to Vipshop and YouTuan group buying sites, with discounts of 50% and 70% off.

Products with only one or two months left before their expiration date are on a 30% off sale.

Sales are brisk.

Brand consignment has increased the number of SKUs and improved the supply chain, leading to a steady increase in Vipshop's order volume.

The transaction volume has also been increasing. Half a month ago, it was only slightly over 30 million, but during the National Day holiday, it had reached 35 million!
It achieved growth against the trend during the economic crisis!

U-Tuan Technology's development has been even more outstanding.

Jiang Fan did not disappoint Wang Junshan. After becoming the CEO of YouTuan Technology, he immediately launched a major initiative:
"Chairman, over the past two weeks, I have mainly focused on reforming U-Tuan International."

"In the maternal and infant category, following the collapse of Sanniu, sales of imported maternal and infant products have surged, leading to a current supply shortage and a significant increase in ex-factory prices."

“Our YouTuan International is the number one platform in China, and even the number one in the world. In addition, our chairman had a long-term vision and signed a pre-determined contract in advance, so we were not affected by the price increase, but there is still room for improvement in sales.”

"To this end, I have developed several new brands and cooperated with them, all of which are major international brands."

"Adding new brands is no problem, but have all the products been sampled and tested?" Wang Junshan asked.

"They were all sampled and tested; every batch was sampled and tested."

“That’s fine.” Wang Junshan nodded.

Jiang Fan continued, "With the addition of the new brand, our YouTuan International has more product categories, more abundant supply, and significantly increased sales."

"In order to get more orders from us, the new brand offered a 20% deposit and the lowest supply price."

"This further increases the profits of U-Tuan International."

"In addition, thanks to U-Tuan International's strengths in the maternal and infant category, our customer base has grown significantly."

“Using this as leverage, we contacted a number of major beauty brands and asked to become their distributors in order to lower the supply price.”

"Currently, we have already reached agreements with brands such as L'Oréal, Lancôme, Laneige, and Decorte to become their distributors. We are still working on brands such as Estée Lauder and SK-II."

"We are also working on becoming distributors and agents for major imported 3C brands."

"We are in contact with companies including those dealing with iPhones, although we don't know if we can reach an agreement."

"Very good!" Wang Junshan was very satisfied.

In the past, mother and baby products signed contracts with brand distributors, but other beauty and 3C products rarely signed such contracts. They mostly cooperated with these brand distributors and obtained their products from them.

Distributors are bound to make a profit, and this "second-tier wholesale" model inevitably results in higher purchase prices.

Unfortunately, U-Group International's imported 3C products and cosmetics have low sales, making it difficult to secure distributors and agents.

Jiang Fan did the opposite; his sales volume wasn't high, but he had many customers!
Thanks to the user growth of "WeChat Farm", the number of WeChat users exceeded 3200 million by October!
U-Tuan International has over 2000 million users!
In 2018, this number of customers was nothing.

But in 2008, that was quite impressive.

All major brands have to weigh things up.

Therefore, many international brands have started to sign contracts with YouTuan International and become first-level distributors!
Not only are the purchase prices lower, but the profits are also higher, and the product range has expanded!

As a result, U-Tuan International's revenue not only did not decrease, but instead surged from 5500 million to over 6300 million.

"A 15% increase in sales in just half a month, that's excellent!"

Wang Junshan smiled.

It has to be said that Jiang Fan really has a knack for it: "What about YouTuan group buying?"

(End of this chapter)