Fujitsu Creates Business Unit Supporting Japan-based Companies Operating in Asia

Fujitsu today announced that, as of August 1, 2010, a new business unit to provide strong and seamless support between Japan-based companies and their local subsidiaries in Asia in the manufacturing, retailing and distribution industries, for Japanese customers who are launching or expanding business in Asia has been established. The new Asia business unit will provide industry-tailored solutions developed in Japan as well as infrastructure services.

The unit will enable Japanese corporate customers to smoothly link their main ICT systems in Japan with systems at local subsidiaries in Asia. Through improved information sharing and by getting a better handle on local conditions, corporate customers will be able to make management decisions more promptly and institute tighter governance over operations in Asia. As local subsidiaries in Asia will be able to design and implement the same solutions used in their Japan headquarters, they will be able to optimize their ICT resources, deploy them more quickly, and reduce operational costs.

While supporting Japanese corporate customers in their business expansion into Asia, Fujitsu will provide global proposals to corporate customers on how they can generate added value in their business, including ways of further strengthening coordination with their subsidiaries in Asia and leveraging the power of cloud computing in their Fujitsu-governed ICT platforms in Japan.

Background

With economies in Asia recovering from the worldwide financial crisis, as well as the dramatic economic growth of emerging markets in Asia, Japanese corporate customers are actively expanding their businesses into Asia. Whereas the formulation of ICT strategies used to be delegated to local subsidiaries, customers increasingly want local subsidiaries to be more tightly integrated with Japan for better coordination and to accelerate the speed of their business.

Since the mid-1990s, Fujitsu has provided systems deployment services and support to Japanese corporate customers who have launched or expanded business in Asia, primarily through Japan-based sales teams working together with local Fujitsu offices in Asia. During this time, Fujitsu has accumulated a track record of supporting over 1,200 companies. With the recent resurgence in Japanese companies expanding into Asia, Fujitsu decided that it needed to further strengthen its customer support organization in Japan and in its Asian offices.

Establishing a Contact Point for Japanese Corporate Customers

On August 1, 2010, Fujitsu established a new business unit for Japan-based companies operating in Asia, which will provide the same industry-tailored solutions and infrastructure services that are being offered in Japan to Japanese corporate customers in the manufacturing, retailing and distribution industries that are launching or expanding business in Asia. Strengthening Fujitsu's sales activities in Asia, including China and the ASEAN nations, the new group will have 14 offices in 12 countries and regions, including Japan, and be comprised of approximately 200 sales personnel to enable Fujitsu to respond flexibly and rapidly to customer needs.

This group of approximately 200 personnel, comprised of staff in Japan as well as expatriates and local staff in Asia, will provide the solutions and infrastructure services needed by both Japanese companies and their Asian subsidiaries in the manufacturing, retailing, and distribution industries. Fujitsu will fully leverage its know-how on infrastructure services including datacenters, acquired by its Asian subsidiaries, to deliver high-quality, value-added services to customers.

Enhancing Solutions Developed in Japan

The new business unit, which will include a strategic planning team to provide market analysis of the manufacturing, retailing and distribution fields in Asia, will design and maintain industry- and function-specific solutions and services compliant with business environments including local trade regulations around the world.

Fujitsu will deliver solutions which include production management, accounting, and design that already have a track record of use in China and ASEAN nations. In addition, Fujitsu will offer enhanced versions of other solutions developed in Japan, such as packaged solutions to support the globalization of customer operations. Fujitsu is also considering offering solutions packages developed by its local offices for the local market throughout Asia. For that purpose, in addition to establishing the new business unit, Fujitsu will be providing enhanced technical support from systems engineers in Japan as well as strengthening its systems engineering teams locally.

By expanding its tailored solutions to the manufacturing, retailing and distribution industries in Asia, Fujitsu will provide systems and services that conform to local business practices and regulations in each country.

As a result, Japanese corporate customers can smoothly link their main Japan-based ICT systems, to systems at their local subsidiaries in Asia. Through improved information sharing and by getting a better handle on local conditions, these corporate customers will be able to make management decisions more rapidly and institute tighter governance over operations in Asia. As local subsidiaries in Asia will be able to use the same solutions used in their Japan headquarters, they will be able to optimize their ICT resources, deploy them more quickly, and reduce operational costs. Moreover, many Japanese customers are considering, under the leadership of the parent firm, to globally convert their ICT platforms for the cloud computing era, or are considering investments in employing ICT for the purpose of creating new business ventures. Fujitsu is committed to actively responding to these types of needs, as well.

Needless to say, Fujitsu's support is not limited to Asia. As a global ICT vendor headquartered in Japan, Fujitsu will continue to enhance its delivery of solutions and infrastructure services to Japanese customers expanding their global business in Europe and the Americas.