Groupon enters Japan & and Russia markets, via acquisition of domestic clone here called Q:Pod, via TechCrunch Japan: http://tcrn.ch/b9uOLB

Machine Translation:

Our favorite digital coupon group buying site Groupon has cemented its foray into Japan and Russia today with the acquisitions of Japanese and Russian deals sites Qpod and Darberry respectively. Groupon has a tendency to acquire and rebrand its better outfitted clones, most recently buying the German startup Citydeal as an outpost of its European expansion.

Groupon Japan and Groupon Russia are the latest notches in Groupon’s belt of world domination; The company now serves up deals to more than 13 million subscribers in 29 countries and employs more than 1,200 people worldwide.

Related posts:

1. NEC to Enter Russian 3G Market
2. KDDI to Launch Operations in Russia
3. Motorola to Adopt China’s 3G Standard?
4. J-Com Brings IDEOS to Japan
5. RFID by UHF from KDDI & Hitachi

Some sage advise when entering new turf; Stop, Look and Listen.. it’s also good to secure a local guide. Japan is the cradle of mobile civilization – we have been dedicated to this space since 2001 – trust our archives here offer some useful material.

Domestic activities continue to set the pace, and sharp players are looking at global markets. We have hard-earned industry expertise and trusted network of contacts with access to advanced intell. and potential deal flow. Need a lift.. Ok, buckle-up!