Fujitsu Chooses Singapore as Location for Its Latest Platform Solution Centre

Singapore, May 05, 2005

Leading regional IT and communications solutions provider Fujitsu Asia Pte Ltd today signalled an expansion of its global platform business by opening the Platform Solution Centre, Singapore (PSCS), a facility to promote industry collaboration while developing solutions for its customers in Southeast Asia and India. The new Platform Solution Centre is the second that Fujitsu has established, and the first outside Japan.

The PSCS allows Fujitsu and its partners to access and assess a wide range of resources – some of which are available from other parts of the world – for developing solutions based on customers’ requirements.

The centre stands as a gateway of a virtual private network (VPN) connection from the Fujitsu Platform Solution Centre in Japan to Fujitsu’s business operations throughout Southeast Asia (including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam) and India. The VPN connectivity places an extensive range of customisable solutions within the reach of Fujitsu and its partners in Singapore, and allows vendors to evaluate the viability of available technologies – some of which are otherwise not locally available outside the PSCS.

The facility serves as a verification and evaluation centre where all parties – Fujitsu, partners and customers – can regularly congregate to do performance testing or perform “proof of concept” during which solutions can be assessed for their suitability their needs. Pre-purchase evaluation, operational verification of independent software vendor (ISV) or independent hardware vendor (IHV) products and other tasks can also be performed on-site.

In line with Fujitsu’s continuing TRIOLE strategy to optimise customers’ IT infrastructures, the PSCS provides users with resources to perform cost effective systems integration, virtualisation and automation throughout the solution development cycle. These include the newly released mission-critical PRIMEQUEST™ server line based on the Intel® Itanium® 2 processor , PRIMEPOWER™ servers based on the SPARC64® V processor running the Solaris operating system, the PRIMERGY® industry standard servers as well as ETERNUS storage systems – all of which are Fujitsu products. It also hosts a wide range of partner software and hardware, as well as middleware solutions such as Interstage, Systemwalker and SAP based solution FlexFrame.

In addition, the centre facilitates platform and skill consultations that allow solutions to be proposed, prototyped and validated. It will also support partner collaborations such as joint seminars, marketing initiatives, business discussions, training sessions and other activities.

Other benefits include:

• Enhanced synergy, reliability and integrity in formulating solutions
• Increased return on IT investments for Fujitsu, partners and customers

“The opening of the Platform Solution Centre in Singapore augurs well for our partners and customers in this region. It is a nerve centre that, by virtue of its location, is capable of tapping into Fujitsu’s global resources to serve our customers while simultaneously providing substantial value and strategic advantages to our technology and business partners. It reinforces Fujitsu Asia’s status as our regional headquarters as it forms an integral part of the company’s alliance business strategy, which revolves around helping customers to construct optimal systems to meet their business requirements. The opening of this centre marks a significant milestone in the history of Fujitsu Asia," said Mr Norikazu Karasuda, Group CEO of Fujitsu Asia.

The PSCS costs S$3.5 million to set up and represents the latest capital investment by the world’s third-largest IT services provider in the local economy. This investment in new resources and technology capabilities is vital to Fujitsu’s expansion plans for Southeast Asia and India, while keeping the administrative, logistics, marketing and sales operations consolidated at its regional headquarters in Singapore.

The PSCS is open from Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) between 9am and 5.30pm. It is located at Fujitsu’s premises on the third floor of TeleTech Park along Science Park Road.