Syn. concept launched to create new mobile Internet experience―With 41 million monthly users, Syn.alliance boasts one of Japan's largest user bases―

1. List of services provided by Syn.alliance (as of October 16, 2014)

CategoryCompanyServiceService description
1 Beauty istyle Inc. Japan's largest comprehensive beauty and cosmetics website, with content that includes product reviews, rankings, etc.
2 Game information AppBroadCast Co., Ltd. Innovative game media service that provides a variety of savings ("gifts") for popular game apps, including information about free offers for limited items, pre-ordering information, and articles on gaming strategy.
3 Weather Weathernews Inc. Weather information service that offers the most detailed, up-to-date, timely, and relevant weather information, for situations ranging from everyday life to emergencies, provided by Weathernews, the world's largest private weather company.
4 News A3 Premier news service that provides a wealth of news on the topics of society, sports, arts and entertainment.
5 Calendar Jorte Inc. Extremely popular calendar and diary app with excellent functionality, user-friendliness, and customization capabilities, which has been downloaded over 10 million times in Japan.
6 Music
Comics
Natasha, Inc.
  • Music Natalie: One of Japan's largest music news media sites, providing the latest music information about major and independent label artists in Japan.
  • Comic Natalie: One of Japan's largest comic news media sites, providing the latest manga information.
7 Advice nanapi Inc. Website that provides over 100,000 "how-to" recipes designed to help users get more out of their daily lives, making it one of the largest collections of its kind in Japan.
8 Maps/Transportation NAVITIME JAPAN Co., Ltd. One of Japan's largest comprehensive navigation services, with over 25 million monthly users [1], providing door-to-door route information for various modes of transport, including train, automobile, and walking.
9 Bookmarks Hatena Co., Ltd. One of Japan's largest social bookmarking services, which enables users to save and share bookmarks online, and identify popular news and blog content.
10 Fashion VASILY, Inc. One of Japan's most popular social fashion service apps, which enables users to browse over 10 million fashion coordination styles created and posted by other users.
11 Ranking Bitcellar, Inc. Ranking information aggregation service, which provides easy access to a variety of rankings in a broad range of categories and genres.
12 Time-limited sales LUXA, Inc. A select outlet e-commerce website that offers discounts of up to 90% on items ranging from upscale products to gourmet restaurant meals, based on the concept of "luxury experience at a discount".
  • [1]
    Total number of smartphone and computer users

2. Details of Syn. concept

As smartphones replace personal computers as the primary way to access the Internet, a great number of new smartphone services have emerged. However, individual customers tend to use a limited number of services [2], and individual services tend to be separated and disconnected from each other, with no links between them.
In a smartphone era faced with issues such as these, we believe that linking and integrating separate services can help customers make new discoveries and provide new value that has never before existed.
With the aim of creating a whole new world of mobile Internet, the Syn. concept intends to double the value of the smartphone experience by transcending the existing limitations of services in pursuit of greater interconnection, integration, and convenience.

Syn. concept: 新規ウィンドウが開きますhttp://www.syndot.jp/

  • [2]
    Customers download an average of 38 smartphone apps and actually use only 8 services at least once a week (according to research by KDDI).

3. Details of Syn.menu, Syn.notification, and Syn.ad

  1. (1) Syn.menu
    An icon is displayed for Syn.menu, a shared side navigation bar for the services provided by Syn.alliance member companies. When this icon is tapped, the Syn.menu screen opens and the user can transition seamlessly between services.

  2. (2) Syn.notification
    Syn.notification is a function that provides notice of new information received from Syn. services. This function enables users to quickly check new information from wherever they are within Syn.

  3. (3) Syn.ad
    Syn.ad displays some of the largest smartphone advertisements ever [3]. Ads are displayed in the Syn.menu, which boasts one of the largest user bases in the Japan smartphone market, and they do not obstruct the content.

  • [3]
    Compared to standard banner size ads displayed on major smartphone sites.

  • The information contained in the news releases is current at the time of publication. Products, service fees,service content and specifications, contact information, and other details are subject to change without notice.