Fujitsu Provides World's First Service for Simple and Safe Connections to Various M2M Equipment Networks

Tokyo, October 09, 2013

Fujitsu today announced that it has developed proprietary communications technology that enables a simple and safe cloud connection to all kinds of equipment. Spanning a variety of different network environments, companies will be able to remotely collect data on their different equipment in disparate locations. Fujitsu will begin sales in Japan of a service utilizing this technology, the FUJITSU Managed Infrastructure Service FENICS II M2M Service from early December 2013

This service enables the flexible combination of a variety of different networks. Compared to constructing an M2M system entirely comprised of mobile line connections, for example, this service, by combining mobile lines and the use of the customer's existing intranet, can reduce the total cost of an M2M system by 90%, including start-up costs and running costs. With this service, customers no longer need the expensive dedicated systems that required development work for each type of network used by their equipment. As a result, the service enables M2M services for such uses as post-sale servicing or marketing information, which used to be limited to high-end industrial equipment, to be extended to low-end equipment. The service can be applied to a wide variety of equipment, such as office equipment, equipment in retail stores, and medical equipment.

Fujitsu continuously strengthens its offerings of network services, and helps to seamlessly connect people, places, and objects to providing its customers with a more interactive business infrastructure, adding value to their services.

This service will be exhibited at ITpro EXPO 2013, which will be held October 9-11 in Tokyo.

Today, as companies seek to offer after-sales servicing to raise the competitiveness of the equipment they are selling or other add-on services to raise their earnings, the use of data that can be obtained from equipment is of increasing importance. Accordingly, companies are attaching communications capabilities to equipment to enable remote monitoring of such information as the status of equipment or sales information – information that previously could only be obtained directly, at the site of the equipment. Now there is greater attention being focused on such M2M services, which enable the information to be put to use no matter where the user is.

To collect such equipment data, however, required constructing a new, dedicated mobile communications network for each piece of equipment. As a practical matter, therefore, applications have been limited to high-end industrial equipment. In addition, in such fields as office equipment, while systems have begun to be offered that use a company's existing intranet or Internet to collect equipment data, such systems require expensive, specially designed servers and other equipment, so they have not come into widespread use.

Now Fujitsu is offering its new FENICS II M2M Service, which builds a safe and secure network system that enables a cloud connection to the variety of networks used by the equipment, without having to do development work for each piece of equipment.

Based upon its newly systematized Fujitsu Big Data Initiative announced June 24, 2013, Fujitsu will continue to support innovation on the part of customers and society by supporting their use of big data.

Features of the New Service

1. One communications device accommodates all types of networks

In accordance with the settings of each piece of equipment to which it is connecting, the service enables all types of networks, whether they be mobile, the Internet, or existing company intranets, to be used as a cloud-connected network. It is simple to operate and does not require a specialized system comprised of a combination of servers. A single FENICS II M2M-GW unit can administer up to 110 devices, thereby enabling substantial reductions in the start-up costs of building an M2M system and its operating costs.

2. Security ensured when using existing networks

The service has a number of features for network security, including encrypted communications, connecting only when communications with the center are necessary (patent pending), access controls limiting communications only with the equipment being monitored, management of usage trails, and inhibiting connections depending on end-user operations.

3. Bypasses overlapping network addresses for easy implementation

The service uses bi-directional address-changing technology (patent pending) that enables communications even when the existing network realms of multiple companies overlap. For the end user this means compatibility with the M2M service that is simple and secure as overlapping with different systems is avoided, eliminating the need for changes to network settings for machines as well as reviews of network design. On the other hand, service providers can offer an efficient service as if on a single network, without inconsistencies even when end users have the same network address.

Usage Scenarios

Because individual development work is not required for each piece of equipment, the service can be used by equipment manufacturers as well as companies providing equipment management services.

Pricing and Availability

Pricing and Availability

Service Name	Pricing (Excl. Tax)	Availability
FENICS II M2M Service	300 yen per month per ID *There is also a separate service platform usage fee	Early December
FENICS II M2M-GW	38,000 yen per unit

Sales Target

Five billion yen over the next three years.