Abstracts of Magazine FUJITSU 2001-1 (VOL.52, NO.1)

Special Issue : Internet Business

• Web Integration Services

The Internet is expected to become an essential part of the infrastructure of advanced industrial companies. Such companies are now very interested in management strategy tools and the technologies of the infrastructure. To match the fast pace of business, it will be necessary to quickly design and construct business models that match a company's management strategy and can be operated with a high reliability 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. To meet these needs, the SIPS （Strategic Internet Professional Service） has appeared in the United States. Fujitsu has enhanced the project management function of SIPS and systematized it as a Web Integration Service. This service consists of five phases: Web strategy, Web design, Web implementation, Web operation, and Web management. It enables companies to design business models that match their management strategies, rapidly implement Web systems to realize the business models, secure support after business startup, and obtain feedback based on periodic marketing analyses. This paper briefly introduces this Web Integration Service.

• Support for Starting Internet Businesses: Business Produce

Business Produce is a Fujitsu consulting service that helps customers start new businesses using the Internet. In Business Produce, the business model, which is basically a scheme for creating value, is composed of three models: strategy, solution, and earnings. By investigating these three models dynamically, an effective business model that unites a strategy and a solution can be built. In addition, these three models can be used to clarify the effect of the solution on the entire business model, individual measures, and solution and help managers make decisions about starting a new business. This paper first describes the development background and characteristics of Business Produce and then describes the development of the service procedure. Then this paper introduces the supporting tools for effectively implementing Business Produce.

• Business Model Patents

The use of the Internet was originally restricted to the scientific field. However, in 1990, the Internet began to be used for business purposes. In the U.S., various new Internet-based businesses were proposed and established. At the same time, various patent applications for Internet-related business ideas were being made and granted. In the autumn of 1999, the Japanese mass media introduced Japan to U.S. business patent applications and described them as a form of business model patent. Immediately following this, the press reported that Amazon.com, Inc. had accused its rival corporation, Barnesandnoble.com, Inc. of patent infringement; this made “business model patents” a popular term in Japan. This paper looks back and describes why business model patents are important.

• Marketplace Services

Online transactions among companies（B2B EC） have been developed from 1 to N to N to N business transactions in the marketplace. Furthermore, connections among marketplaces are now emerging. Currently, there are many vendors specializing in the operation of such marketplaces. However, before these marketplaces can be properly managed and operated, there are many issues left to be solved for both sellers and buyers. Fujitsu provides not only system solutions for MRO, but also marketplace systems with products such as our ProcureMART and SupplyMART which have been developed based on our practical experiences. Furthermore, to facilitate the trading process between many different companies and ministries, we have established the Trading Financing EDI（TEDI） system in cooperation with about 30 companies. This paper describes the services and future development of theTEDI system, SupplyMART and ProcureMART products.

• Internet Banking

The Secure Electronic Commerce Environment （SECE） security technology was developed in 1997 to provide a safe environment for transactions on the Internet. Since then, various methods of introducing Internet banking have been examined and many banks now offer Internet banking services. Advanced banks are actively utilizing the market places for their services linked with virtual shops, which are tailored to meet the needs of individual customers. In addition, these banks provide new services that exceed the scope of traditional banking services, for example, settlement of Internet shopping accounts and individual asset consultations. This paper describes the trends in Internet banking, including mobile banking, in which portable telephones are used to make bank transactions.

• One-to-one Marketing

A new marketing strategy is needed to meet the new socioeconomic conditions, for example, the decreasing birthrate, lower consumption, and increasing service costs. Based on actual examples, this paper describes this new strategy as a practical means to meet the demands of each customer. This paper also introduces some solutions for the new marketing strategy, including the FSP consulting solution FORCE, the FSP package solution COREMA-EXPRESS, and the FSP-ASP service i-Retail/ASP （I-FSP Analysis, i-FSP Operation）.

• Brand Services

Because of the fast-paced expansion of the Internet, more and more companies are becoming interested in its business opportunities. Recently, companies have been using their corporate and brand names and popular celebrities to encourage Internet users to form membership groups. Companies were already using the Internet to offer member-only services to their members, but these new activities by companies represent a new type of new business model. Because this business model requires new technologies and business know-how, individual companies will find it difficult to adopt a new marketing strategy and manage an Internet business by themselves. Responding to this need, Fujitsu has constructed an Internet business environment for membership systems and has started providing its “Brand Service,” which controls the servers for participating companies.

• Local Portal Service: Town@nifty

Fujitsu currently provides more than 10 portal sites for members and non-members to use its @nifty channel services. Of these portal sites, the most specific “Town@nifty” （http://town.nifty.com/）, which specializes in local information on the Internet has just started nationwide service （November 2000）. This paper introduces this service, focusing on its contents and how the service is operated.

• Electronic Settlement Service: ezp@y

Fujitsu Limited and Japan Net Bank limited, which was established in October 2000, have launched Japan's first EBPP service, ezp@y. This new service makes consumers' payments for on-line shopping and can provide the details of settlement histories. Also, ezp@y provides on-line shops with a true realtime settlement service and various other value-added services. This paper describes the concept of ezp@y and its main functions and services.

• SupportDesk Services

Ensuring stable operation of information systems is a common problem for all customers and cannot be overlooked. To help solve this problem, Fujitsu provides a service called SupportDesk that utilizes Internet technology. This service supports stable system operation. SupportDesk consists of two services operation mode and needs of the customer's system. The first service, SupportDesk Product, is centered around product support. This service remotely detects hardware failures and promptly handles the failure. The second service, SupportDesk Management, installs a system monitoring server at the customer's site. SupportDesk Management detects system failures remotely and supports operation of the customer's system. This paper describes the contents and mechanism of SupportDesk.

• IDC (Internet Data Center) Service

The rapid growth in the number of Internet businesses and the ongoing changes within businesses that use the Internet are increasing the volume of work needed to prepare, maintain, and operate IT infrastructure components such as networks and data servers. The work has also become more complex and therefore more difficult to complete. For the past 15 years, Fujitsu has been providing a wide range of commercial operation services based on network services. For the past 10 years, Fujitsu has been operating central data centers at Tatebayashi and Akashi and has been expanding its data-center type outsourcing services. Now, to provide solutions for Internet operation services using these centers as the core, Fujitsu has enhanced these centers to create the Fujitsu Internet Data Center （IDC） and started providing IDC services from April 2000. This paper introduces the specifications and features of Fujitsu's IDC and the various IDC services it provides. Fujitsu is proud of the first-rate reliability of these products, which are based on the experience gained by providing operational services over a long period.

• Software Package Business Using the Internet

The spread of the Internet has had a big impact on the technologies for business formation and the production of software packages. The market needs safer and more usable products, for example, higher security technology for the Internet and interfaces based on browsers. In addition, a big difference from the pre-Internet days is that the Internet has enabled businesses to easily expand over corporate boundaries. The Internet has also enabled Application Service Provider （ASP） businesses and businesses that provide Web sites where information can be exchanged. These changes have altered the structure of the software package business. This paper introduces some examples of software package businesses that are operating in the Internet age.

• Agent Technologies

Coordinating users and services on the Internet is becoming more and more important, which will provide ISPs with even more business opportunities. The next-generation Internet must provide a mechanism that enables users and services to exchange information and match their requirements on the Internet. This paper uses actual examples to describe how agent technologies can be used to realize these core technologies, introduces the required element technologies, and discusses the future direction of Internet middleware.

• Software Platforms

The Internet is a new part of the social infrastructure, and the way in which business is conducted over the Internet has become an important point in how companies compete with each other. One of the most important requirements for Internet business systems is to be able to quickly deploy secure, reliable, and scalable systems. A software platform capable of meeting this requirement is essential. This paper provides an overview of a software platform that supports Internet businesses and introduces Fujitsu's approach to providing this software platform.

• A New Communication System: Chocoa Communicator

This paper introduces a new communication system “Chocoa Communicator,” that is based on awareness and text communication. “Awareness” here means awareness of the presence and actions of others connected on a network. By utilizing awareness, the status of other people, for example, “on-line,” “off-line,” and “don't disturb” can be checked at a glance. As a result, users can select the most appropriate communication procedure. In addition, because computers can read text, the value of communication can easily be raised by linking it with existing information processing technologies such as searching and syntax analysis.

• Case Studies of System Construction Based on Meridio

Fujitsu's Meridio middleware for constructing document-oriented business systems was released in July 1999. Fujitsu has continued to improve Meridio, for example, by providing Web support as standard and optional products for integrating image processing and workflow. Since the release, the Meridio server and development kit have been used to construct various types of document-oriented business systems. Meridio has been used in various applications, for example, as a storage engine for bulk documents and as a knowledge management system. This paper classifies case studies of Meridio-based systems in terms of the characteristics of the target documents （form type, operation manual or record type, and know-how document type） and the function level enabled by the application. This paper then summarizes the features of the two classifications. In addition, this paper describes the application, purpose, system configuration, functions, and features of three cases. Finally, this paper evaluates Meridio based on the experiences gained in using it to construct systems and outlines some future issues.

• Building e-Business Systems Using COBOL and Java

To successfully meet the age of mega-competition among companies, companies need application systems that support e-business and can quickly respond to large changes in their business. However, if a system is made using a single development language, it is difficult to quickly respond to changes. After taking system construction and the relationship between existing systems or resources and future systems into consideration, we recommend that the best way to quickly and efficiently construct application systems is through careful use of COBOL and Java （i.e., right person, right place）. In addition, by using the common construction platforms of the INTERSTAGE application server, common applications that extend across platforms can be developed. Then, by using the linkage platform of Enterprise Application Integration （EAI）, a company's existing systems can be quickly and flexibly integrated according to changes in the company's business. This paper describes how to efficiently construct e-business application systems using the features of COBOL and Java and describes a future plan for Fujitsu COBOL products.

• Parallelnavi: A Development and Job Execution Environment for Parallel Programs on PRIMEPOWER

Fujitsu's Parallelnavi is a solution for scientific and technical computing fields that has the PRIMEPOWER large-scale scalar multiprocessor computational server as its platform. Parallelnavi is based on software technologies for Fujitsu's VPP series of distributed-memory parallel vector computers. This paper describes the concept of applying the software technologies accumulated from the VPP series to the new platform and the way in which the concept has been applied. This paper is arranged according to the three basic components of Parallelnavi: the program development environment, job operation environment, and application high-speed execution environment.

• FRX Series SDH Radio Equipment

Fujitsu has completed development of the world's smallest and lightest SDH microwave radio system for trunk line telecommunication networks. This equipment takes up half the floor space of existing systems because it uses a combination of high-density mounting technology for the microwave circuits, VLSIs, and tri-plate PC boards. Also, the system uses a plug-in structure for improved operability. Because of these features, customers have ordered more than 5,000 of these systems in two years. This equipment offers improved mobility, quick installation, and expandability and meets the increasing demand created by the continuing growth of mobile telecommunication networks. This paper describes the application of this equipment to trunk line telecommunication networks and to mobile telecommunication networks.

• SLCA: Lossless Compression Software with Archiving Function

This paper introduces Fujitsu's Super Lossless Compression & Archiver （SLCA） software, which compresses data such as files and programs and saves multiple files into a single file. Because the Lempel-Ziv （LZ） compression method is covered closely by many patents, Fujitsu developed an original compression algorithm that achieves a compression performance equal to or higher than those of conventional compression software. SLCA works on computers running Windows 95, 98, NT4.0, 2000, and Solaris 2.6, 7, and it is used in a wide range of applications, from personal use to built-in use in large systems such as corporate network systems. SLCA can be operated intuitively on its graphical user interface, which is similar to Windows Explorer.