Takenaka Corporation

Challenges

Fewer workers and an aging population demand higher productivity
Siloed sites reduce data sharing and business continuity
IoT, big data, AI and robotics require a foundation for future use

Solution

Migrate main and branch office server functions to the cloud
Use high-speed technology to match on-premises data access speeds

Benefits

Data is accessible to employees and customers anywhere, any time
The cloud serves as a foundation for future digital transformation

Takenaka Corporation

Dr. Eng
General Manager
Group ICT Promotion Department
Head Office
Keizo Iwashita

“By establishing a fundamental base for sharing all kinds of data, I believe we have successfully taken the first step in driving digitization of the construction industry.”

Challenges

The distributed management system for each construction site restricted the sharing of documents and BIM data

Takenaka Corporation has always provided architecture in response to customer needs based on its management philosophy: “Contribute to society by passing on the best works to future generations.” Takenaka Corporation has worked on numerous buildings symbolic of their eras — including Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Dome, Abeno Harukas and more.

Takenaka Corporation is also known as a company that leads its industry in using advanced ICT. “As with other industries, the construction industry is facing major problems such as a human resources squeeze and the aging of skilled workers. It is now essential for companies to continue to pursue business efficiency and productivity in multiple directions. ICT is essential for solving these problems,” says Dr. Keizo Iwashita of Takenaka Corporation. Based on this thinking, in 2014 Takenaka Corporation established the Group ICT Promotion Department to comprehensively manage ICT for the Takenaka Group. Around 7,000 mobile terminals were distributed to sales, design and construction sites, and measures such as “Takenaka Smart Work” were developed to promptly respond to customer needs and improve productivity.

Recently, problems with using ICT have become evident. These problems concern the management and operation of data used at construction sites.

The company has around 500 major construction sites across Japan. Each site handles design and construction information, including documents, CAD and building information modeling (BIM) data, but they also maintain other forms of data such as contracts with partner companies and quality, cost, delivery, safety, environment (QCDSE) process charts. The company has conventionally promoted information sharing among workers and a paperless workflow by storing data on NAS file servers installed at each site.

“However, because this was ultimately a closed system at each site, it was difficult for workers to check data using mobile terminals when leaving the office, or when sharing information with the Osaka or Tokyo head offices, branch offices nationwide, or partner companies across Japan. When attending off-site meetings based on drawings, employees had to print out the data beforehand or send the data ahead of time, and if we wanted to check other data in the course of the meeting, we couldn’t do that,” reflects Dr. Iwashita.

This method also posed risks for data retention and business continuity in the event of a file server failure or natural disaster at a field site. Since this was an on-premises model, creating backups involved time, effort, and expense, as well as a lot of effort to restore data.

Solution

Migrate to a cloud file server, aiming to maintain similar response times to the on-premises model

Takenaka Corporation sought ways to manage essential data more easily and reliably. After considering the matter carefully, it decided to build a new file server environment in the cloud and concentrate data collectively.

“At this time, we thought about creating a mechanism enabling information to be viewed from the main offices and branch offices, partner companies and from mobile terminals — by consolidating all the documents, various forms of data, BIM data, and more, handled by the main offices and branch offices, in addition to the data at each site,” states Dr. Iwashita. By building in redundancy on the cloud side, restoration work in the wake of any disaster would become easier. The company decided this would solve all their problems, including unnecessary operational management of file server equipment.

For the data migration destination, Takenaka Corporation selected a private cloud environment proposed by NTT.

This cloud file server environment combines the Nexcenter data center service, Enterprise Cloud service and NTT Global Network Services among others. In making this selection, the company prioritized support for BIM data access times, a requirement peculiar to construction sites. Specifically, since BIM data handled on sites can exceed several hundred megabytes, display speed often becomes a restrictive bottleneck when using a general-purpose cloud environment. So, the ability to maintain the same level of usability as the original system was incorporated into the requirements.

“NTT responded to our request not simply by offering the WAN speed-up solution, but also by thoroughly speed-tuning the system.

Although we requested proposals from multiple vendors, it would have proved difficult to comprehensively investigate and eliminate the cause of this speed reduction without NTT’s ability to provide everything from cloud infrastructure to lines and networks as a single all-in-one provider,” said Dr. Iwashita.

Benefits

Established a cloud data-sharing infrastructure to serve as a foundation for digitizing construction sites

Takenaka Corporation is migrating the data from each of its sites, main offices and branch offices to the cloud. Work is still underway to migrate data from about 500 major sites, as well as main offices and branch offices, over a period of 2 years.

Sites that have performed the data migration have achieved the expected results. “Personnel at our company and partner companies can now check data at any time and any location their authority allows. During meetings held externally, they can also view drawings via mobile terminals, which certainly improves productivity,” says Dr. Iwashita. Response times for viewing BIM data are good, and the same level of usability as before has been achieved.

Business continuity has also improved. Transferring data to NTT’s data center makes it impossible for information to be lost even if a site office is struck by some disaster. At the same time, the cloud environment implements redundancy between physically remote data centers to ensure further security.

“Since we’re able to leave operational management to NTT, we’ve also been able to reduce the burden on employees who previously managed equipment and handled disaster response,” Dr. Iwashita adds. As these efforts have resulted in a certain level of success, the company intends to develop and expand similar systems across its Japanese group companies and sites in Europe, the USA and Asia.

“The construction industry worldwide has steadily steered its efforts toward digitization. As we have established our complete basic data-sharing infrastructure, we can now move forward with innovative improvements to productivity using digital fabrication, big data, AI and more, with a view toward Construction 4.0, which we have set as a future goal,” emphasizes Dr. Iwashita.

Takenaka Corporation’s efforts are set to continue as a core player in the Japanese construction industry.

Interview

You can see customer testimonial video.

Service

NTT Global Network Services

NTT Global Network Services is a new highly available broadband network that uses low latency submarine cable systems to let enterprises rapidly deploy reliable, low-cost, scalable cloud-based applications and data, across the globe.

Enterprise Cloud

Enterprise Cloud is a secure private cloud service that complements our data center, network and server solutions. We provide a versatile and secure IT cloud infrastructure to support core business applications. A wide range of options are available, including flexible resource provisioning.

Nexcenter

Nexcenter, the next generation data center service from NTT provides world-class quality and full support.

Company

Takenaka Corporation

Revenue: JPY 1,216.5 billion (as of March 31, 2017)

Business: Takenaka Corporation is a major construction company that worked on such buildings as Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Dome and Abeno Harukas — buildings that symbolize the times and have become national landmarks of Japan. In recent years, working under the concept of Healthy Community Development, by striving to create spaces and urban communities that contribute to a society of longevity and health, Takenaka Corporation has sought to realize a sustainable society where people can live with peace of mind at all stages of urban development.

URL: http://www.takenaka.co.jp/takenaka_e/index.html

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Stephenson Harwood

Challenges

Reliably and securely sharing documents between lawyers at Stephenson Harwood’s global locations

Solution

A reliable network that can provide consistent and secure service globally

Benefits

Efficient collaboration between lawyers on complex projects

Stephenson Harwood

IT Director
Mr. Chris Petrie

“The majority of the work that we do is based on the ability of every lawyer having access to files and documents they need, when they need them – reliability and low latency in the network is crucial. NTT has given us this function, not just on a national scale but across the globe. Everyone here is very impressed with them.”

Challenges

A need for Reliably and securely sharing documents between lawyers globally

As part of its international growth plans, Stephenson Harwood needed to improve collaboration between its global offices to continue delivering global services across new markets. To achieve this, a fast and reliable global data network between all of its offices was needed.

Stephenson Harwood had very specific requirements for its network provider, looking for one that had experience in dealing with companies of a similar size, as well as having the global infrastructure necessary to deliver a low latency network across Europe and Asia.

The global firm had a number of concerns with the future of their network. They needed a single supplier that could deliver and manage the entire infrastructure despite the distances between its offices, coupled with the expertise to connect new offices and upgrade its general office IT and support system.

Because of the distances involved, the network needed to travel on land – any physical problems with an undersea network would take longer to resolve and it was key that any disruptions were to be as short as possible. A low-latency requirement also determined the structure of the network.

The chosen provider needed to guarantee good management and availability of the network, so that any technical issues would be quickly and efficiently resolved with minimal input from Stephenson Harwood.

Solution

NTT’s direct land-based MPLS network from UK to Asia

NTT’s fully-managed MPLS network was rolled out in Q1, 2010 and was chosen by Stephenson Harwood to provide its entire global network, connecting all global offices using NTT’s global reach, experience and strong links with Asia.

The network stretches across Europe and Asia, over the Russian Steppe which has two key advantages for Stephenson Harwood. The first is that NTT owns the entire network, giving one point of contact and peace of mind that in case of any issues, NTT has direct access to it. Secondly, the low-latency network provides a direct land-based route from the UK to Asia. This is lower compared to pan-Atlantic undersea connections as a result of the shorter distances involved.

In addition, the land-based network provides Stephenson Harwood with an IT infrastructure to support its goals for increased collaboration between global offices – Lawyers working remotely have access to an IP steering system which automatically chooses the most efficient network route with the lowest latency back to their home office.

NTT also helped to create an internal network for each office and scaled according to size. This gives Stephenson Harwood complete autonomy in case of connectivity problems with the MPLS network, reducing the operational impact of any network outages.

Benefits

Efficient collaboration among the global workforce

The global network from NTT has allowed Stephenson Harwood to easily collaborate and work more efficiently on complex, large-scale projects, in seven offices across Europe and Asia.

All of its employees can now access files quicker and work output from the teams, regardless of where they are based, is much more visible. The integrated network means that Stephenson Harwood makes the most of its expertise, globally, by responding quickly to customer demands and with simple and easy tools to arrange and participate in face-to-face video and conference calls.

Service

NTT Global Network Services

Company

Stephenson Harwood

Overview: Stephenson Harwood is a full service international law firm, with over 120 partners and 700 staff worldwide. We act for a wide range of listed and private companies, institutions and individuals.

URL: http://www.shlegal.com/

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Ricoh Japan Corp.

Challenges

The capital investment burdens of a growing service infrastructure
Increasing operational workload and IT skill shortage

Solution

Cloud service with on-demand adjustment of IT resources
Outsourcing IT operations to an expert team at NTT

Benefits

Smooth system migration without adversely affecting users
Reduced investment & management load with more focus on central goals.

Senior Corporate Officer Mr. Shinji Mizo

Ricoh Japan Corp.

Chief of IT Service Business Promotion Division
Business Solution Head Office
Mr. Shingo Hattori

“We decided to migrate to cloud service in a way that would not burden our customers. NTT’s proposal fully satisfied our requirements.”

Challenges

Investment and management loads related to IT service delivery

The Ricoh Group is renowned for delivering various types of office equipment and solutions including printers, multifunctional machines and copiers. In the IT service category, Ricoh Japan developed IT Keeper, which provides one-stop system infrastructure planning, installation and management/maintenance. The company also solves various issues related to IT utilization. Its service lineup includes NET Begin BB Pack Select service ( “BB Pack” hereafter), which provides comprehensive assistance ranging from introduction/installation of the Internet environment and mail/web server operations to hosting and on-site recovery measures. BB Pack has been popular among wide-ranging users, especially SOHO and other small businesses. Among the approximately 120,000 companies now using BB Pack, nearly 20,000 use the hosting service.

The increase in users was more rapid than expected since the service launch 15 years ago, and the increasing capital investment and human resources required to maintain high availability were beginning to become a burden.

“On-premise system operation required constant incremental improvement of facilities for the growing user base and constant education of personnel to keep pace with IT advances and systems growing in complexity. Too many resources were going toward maintaining the IT infrastructure, so it became harder for us to concentrate on business goals such as the enhancement of IT Keeper service quality,” reflected Mr. Shingo Hattori. So Ricoh Japan decided to stop running the facilities itself and instead utilize a cloud service provided by another company to create an environment where it could distribute IT resources in response to user requests on demand.

Solution

Service migration to the cloud with infrastructure run by NTT

Ricoh Japan approached several service providers with summaries of its requirements regarding service reliability, stability, security and migration. After carefully examining competitive proposals, the company chose NTT (NTT).

“In short, we chose NTT because of its unrivaled reliability. No matter how we provide services, whether through the cloud or not, we have to ensure that no trouble comes to our clients. NTT is one of Japan’s leading providers and the only Japanese provider with a Tier 1 IP backbone in Asia. We believe its business record and achievements speak for themselves,” said Mr. Hattori.

The company’s cloud migration requirements were another important consideration. Since its employees use various platforms and tools of different versions, securely migrating the complex system to a cloud-based environment without any failures would be an extremely challenging task.

Mr. Hattori stated with emphasis, “Other providers' proposals also met our system migration requests, but they required changes to our existing system. Only NTT clearly stated that we could migrate our system without any changes. We could sense their confidence and know-how backed by ample experience handling hosting services and migrating systems to the cloud under the OCN brand name.”

The company’s desire to decrease operational load, another major challenge, also pushed it toward choosing NTT. Ricoh Japan had been handling various system needs such as firmware updates for a RAID controller, required as a troubleshooting measure, and the implementation of security measures for virtual servers. “Another attractive feature of NTT was the sophisticated skills of its infrastructure operation team,” explained Mr. Hattori.

Benefits

Swift branch development and Asian market strategy support

Employing a cloud system that only a telecommunications carrier could provide, NTT seamlessly and securely migrated Ricoh Japan’s customer management systems from its on-premise environment to Enterprise Cloud (through NTT Global Network Services closed-network service). “Regarding operations in the new environment,” said Mr. Hattori, “we mainly handle applications while NTT handles infrastructure based on agreements on our defined management roles. This flexible approach has benefits.”

NTT provides two internally developed tools to support management of the new cloud environment. One is a “shelf registration tool” that can support the entire order receipt process of Ricoh’s BB Pack from acquisition of cloud IT resources to service delivery. The other is an “information collection tool” that enables system visualization of customer service.

Because of this cloud migration project, Ricoh Japan is now able to increase/decrease IT resources on demand, as well as largely reduce the burden of infrastructure management.

Capital investment on service provision changed from fixed to variable expenses, thus eliminating waste and enabling in-house engineers to concentrate on developing new services and applications — their central goal.

“The TCO reduction achieved through our new system will be paid back to customers by lowering service fees. Of course, this will give our IT Keeper service an even bigger competitive edge,” said Mr. Hattori.

As more and more corporate IT environments of all scales become cloud-based, and more companies employ cloud-based workstyles utilizing mobile devices and Wi-Fi networks, Ricoh Japan will collaborate with NTT to proactively deliver services that meet their needs.

Service

Enterprise Cloud

NTT Global Network Services

ANTT Global Network Services is a new highly available broadband network that uses low latency submarine cable systems to let enterprises rapidly deploy reliable, low-cost, scalable cloud-based applications and data, across the globe.

Company

Ricoh Japan Corp.

Revenue: JPY 589,690 million (as of March 2015)
Business: Ricoh Japan Corp. is an office automation solution company established through the integration of three sales-related domestic companies in the Ricoh Group (Ricoh Technosystems, Ricoh Business Expert and part of Ricoh IT Solutions). It proposes and provides optimal office solutions in response to client requests by combining products and services from Ricoh’s vast lineup.

URL: www.ricoh.co.jp

‘Ricoh Japan Corp.’ case study
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Mizkan Holdings Co., Ltd.

Challenges

Build an applications supporting infrastracture, including SAP, for the US acquisition
Create an entire IT environment, including core system, network and IT support desk

Solution

Leverage hybrid cloud infrastructure, combing cloud and colocation for servers
Outsourced network, security, and help desk to NTT

Benefits

Rapid transition- Built IT infrastructure, transferred data and renewed system just 6 months after acquisition
Flexible- New IT infrastructure is ready to quickly expand and support future global initiatives

Mizkan Holdings Co., Ltd.

Senior Corporate Officer
Mr. Shinji Mizo

“We are targeting Asia as the next step of our global business expansion, so it has been crucial for us to find a partner capable of providing total support.”

Mizkan Partners Co., Ltd.

Manager
Information Technology Department Business Management Division
Mr. Hiroshi Masuda

“Building IT infrastructure overseas multiplies the problems. Having a partner that can participate in the total problem-solving process is an invaluable asset.”

Mizkan Partners Co., Ltd.

Information Technology Department Business Management Division
Mr. Toshio Takeshima

“We deployed NTT’s help desk solution in UK to provide IT support for our European business units and thereby realize stronger governance. For standardization, we intend to deploy the same solution in our U.S. and Japanese offices.”

Challenges

Build IT infrastructure to support M&A and accelerate transition from centuries-old Japanese brand to global brand

Established in 1804, Mizkan is a widely known Japan-based food manufacturer, selling many products with deep brand value, including natto fermented soybeans and flavor enhancers such as vinegar, an essential ingredient in Japanese dishes such as sushi and stews. Mizkan is the proud purveyor of Japan’s No. 1 vinegar brand and the very popular natto brand.

The company has been accelerating its global expansion since its 200th anniversary in 2003. In recent years, it acquired the UK’s top vinegar brands, Sarson’s, Haywards and Branston. Then, in June 2014, it acquired the two market leading U.S. pasta sauce brands for $2.15 billion from Unilever – Ragu, the No.1 general pasta sauce, and Bertolli, the No.1 premium pasta sauce.

According to Mr. Mizo, “Mizkan’s ex-Japan sales ratio rose from 30% to 50% in 2014 as a result of M&A. While we were pleased to attain this key growth target earlier than expected, we were unable to establish the infrastructure and processes needed to keep pace with our fast growth.”

Mizkan required a foundation on which to build its infrastructure to integrate with its global businesses.

Solution

Starting from zero, build the needed IT infrastructure within just six months

Once the last acquisition was competed in June 2014, the Information Technology Department began planning to construct the company’s new IT infrastructure and integrate its new businesses. “There were limits to using legacy assets because the aquired companies were large and had different business environments,” said Mr. Masuda. So we had to start from zero when we developed the new IT infrastructure for our servers, network and IT support desk.”

According to the transition service agreement (TSA) signed with the newly acquired company, Mizkan could use existing IT infrastructure for only half a year, so it had to transfer all systems and data by December. “In M&As, contractual time limits must be strictly observed, so it was critical for us to find a reliable partner since our IT human resources were limited. We looked at a number of carriers and vendors, but in the end we chose NTT based on their superior global experience and achievements,” explained Mr. Masuda.

Standardization and efficiency were crucial, since actual construction of the IT infrastructure had to be completed within one month of the start date and become operational by December. “In building the core system, including SAP, we minimized customization and add-ons because we decided that work procedures should be adapted to the new system. We chose a hybrid cloud for our servers, using both the cloud and colocation for speed and flexibility,” said Mr. Masuda. Explaining why they chose Enterprise Cloud, NTT’s private-cloud service, he said, “A private cloud assures strong security, which was vital because we had to transfer data fast and safely.”

Another crucial decision was choosing the right equipment for a network environment that would connect global offices, plants and distribution centers. Mr. Masuda noted, “NTT’s data centers are directly interconnected via a wide area network (WAN), so our network could be constructed quickly.” As with its WAN in Japan, Mizkan adopted NTT Global Network Services to connect its data center and global units. In particular, the company was attracted to the service’s low-latency connections between Japan and the United States.

Benefits

Strengthened global governance through a reliable, standardized IT infrastructure

Now that Mizkan’s new brands have been seamlessly integrated into the company’s global network, various systems are being operated on NTT’s hybrid cloud infrastructure. Looking to the future, however, the company still has some technical issues to address. “We must decide the best practices for our data center and network, including how to leverage the cloud for our entire group,” said Mr. Masuda. “We also want to further reinforce governance by establishing global security standards and standardizing various processes.”

Considering the importance of unified governance for global IT infrastructure, Mizkan elected to deploy NTT’s Super Help Desk to provide fully unified, multilingual IT support 24/7.

“It was too difficult to provide global IT support from Japan because of the time differences,” said Mr. Takeshima. “As the first step in resolving this problem, we deployed NTT’s help desk service to support our IT personnel in the UK. We are looking at using the service in the U.S. and Japan as well.”

Another key factor for Mizkan in selecting its IT partner was problem-solving capabilities. “Many issues had to be resolved to build our IT infrastructure from scratch,” said Mr. Masuda. “In NTT, we found a partner that could become totally involved in our problem-solving process, including balancing our needs with those of our new brands’ IT divisions.”

Mr. Mizo explained, “Looking ahead, we are planning to extend our global IT infrastructure in the Asia region, so for this kind of global expansion, we need a partner like NTT to offer us total support on a one-stop basis.”

While M&A is an effective means of accelerating global expansion, there are many cases of business integration being delayed by inadequacies in existing IT assets. This is why it is so important to choose a partner with proven global capabilities to leverage the cloud and quickly establish standardized IT infrastructure and systems.

Service

Enterprise Cloud

NTT Global Network Services

Company

Mizkan Holdings Co., Ltd.

Revenue: Consolidated net sales: 214.1 billion yen (fiscal 2014)
Business: Established in 1804, Mizkan sells diverse products and foods that are staples of modern food culture. In keeping with its philosophy, “Offer Customers Only the Finest Products,” Mizkan provides products and foods that enrich dining tables.

URL: http://www.mizkan.net

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KOKUYO Co., Ltd.

Challenges

Optimized network to promote work-style innovation
Rapid increase in network traffic and running costs

Solution

Adoption of reliable and high-quality global network
Flexible network based on scale and needs

Benefits

Flawless video conferencing environment for collaboration
Smooth network deployment to new offices

KOKUYO Furniture Co., Ltd.

Consulting Director
First class authorized architect / business coach
Solution Department
Mr. Kenichi Suzuki

“We have established a global network platform that accelerates our work-style innovation.”

KOKUYO Co., Ltd.

Group Leader
Information Systems Division
Infrastructure Planning Group
Mr. Jun Benki

“NTT Global Network Services enables network service to be delivered smoothly to new offices and dramatically reduces our total cost of networking.”

Challenges

Continuously promote work-style innovation
Optimize global network infrastructure

KOKUYO, under a core strategy to support society with innovative products, operates three main businesses: a stationary and PC-product business, an e-commerce site for office supplies called Kaunet, and a furniture business serving offices, educational institutions and medical facilities. The furniture business, beyond supplying necessary tools for customers, provides consulting on the design of workspaces suited to each customer’s unique working style.

“We support customers in multiple ways to help them achieve innovation in their work and communication styles, including providing smart devices for remote work,” says Mr. Suzuki Kenichi, Consulting Director of KOKUYO’s Solution Department.

KOKUYO has always been a company that looks beyond the mere provision of office furniture, aiming to facilitate innovative ways to do business. For example, in 1997, it was an early adopter of office designs incorporating shared workspaces. Since then, it has been introducing new approaches, such as adopting mobile devices to make efficient use of idle time in the schedules of remote workers, as well as leveraging other communication tools to enhance collaboration.

Mr. Suzuki says KOKUYO is rapidly expanding its business outside Japan. “We aim to increase our overseas revenue ratio to 30% as our next goal for expansion. But to achieve this, we need to effectively communicate and share knowledge with overseas.”

A drastic network overhaul was required for the company. Network traffic had been rapidly increasing, causing network costs to balloon.” The bandwidth issue was caused by an increasing number of virtualized servers centralized in a data center, which led our network reaching its limit,” says Mr. Jun Benki, head of the Infrastructure Planning Group in KOKUYO’s Information Systems Division.

The company decided it had to build a new network to solve these issues, as well as to support its global expansion and promote state-of-the art working styles.

Solution

Reliability, low cost and scalability of Network to support global deployment

KOKUYO received proposals from various telecoms and IT service providers for their new network and then evaluated not only for their reliability and stability, but also running and migration costs, and the ability to manage the massive project of connecting KOKUYO’s more than 300 offices. After careful assessment, it chose NTT Global Network Services of NTT.

“In addition to the quality of its service and support, another important factor in choosing NTT was that we could get their support in every overseas office that we deploy.” says Mr. Benki.

In constructing the network, NTT offered flexible network access solutions according to the needs of each office to achieve the best return on investment.

For data centers that require maximum reliability for network connectivity, Premium Grade service ensures 100% guaranteed bandwidth for main and backup circuits. Business Grade service is utilized for important locations, such as head office and distribution centers, while midsize offices use Standard Grade and smaller offices use the highly economical Light Grade, which is based on consumer broadband network service.

Benefits

Smooth network delivery to new offices with standardized policy

KOKUYO completed the migration to NTT Global Network Services in more than 100 offices, thereby raising the level of innovation in these locations. For example, even in small offices with a narrow bandwidth of just 1-2 Mbps, employees now have smooth access to video conferencing.

During the network implementation, a Wi-Fi network in its downtown Tokyo office was also installed by NTT upon request from KOKUYO for over 1,000 salespersons who are using tablets.

Meanwhile, the new network had driven KOKUYO’s server integration project, which aims to reduce the number of physical server by 40% using virtualization technology.

Previously, it was a time-consuming to evaluate data traffic flow to decide server locations from local office. With its flexible new network, however, the company can rapidly consolidate servers.

“Additionally, standardized network-management processes have been very beneficial. When we set up a new office, it can be connected without having to worry about complex network design. As we expand into global market, this is quite an important factor,” says Mr. Benki.

In Summary, KOKUYO now has a network that allows it to develop new working styles and share its knowledge of innovative office solutions based on the company’s own experience and achievement.

“It’s important not just to raise productivity, but also to consider why we are pursuing innovation. Speed is the key. Our employees can make decisions anytime, anywhere to respond to customers quickly. Our new integrated network platform is a big step toward enhanced innovation. Through our strong partnership with NTT, we will continue to develop innovative work styles, creating new ideas for customer’s business growth.

Service

NTT Global Network Services

Company

KOKUYO Co., Ltd.

Business: Stationery, furniture, mail order and retail businesses aimed at offering products and services that contribute to richly creative work and life.

URL: http://www.kokuyo.com/en/

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Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd.

Challenges

Establish global IT infrastructure to support rapid business expansion
Ensure flexible network bandwidth management to handle increasing data traffic

Solution

Leverage NTT’s globally integrated network infrastructure
Optimize network with multiple routes segmented by usage (core, data or voice/video)

Benefits

Doubled available bandwidth without increasing costs
Facilitated fast establishment/consolidation of global offices for business expansion

Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd.

Executive Officer
General Manager
Information Systems Department
Mr. Kyoji Kato

“Since a network infrastructure was key for global group strategies, NTT was the only choice for us.”

Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd.

Manager
Information Systems Department
Mr. Naoki Sakurai

“This network embodies the ICT infrastructure we needed in terms of flexibility, cost, security and global scale.”

Challenges

Global network infrastructure was crucial for implementing company’s growth strategies

Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd. is a pioneer of prefab housing. Daiwa House aims to support people’s lives, not only through their core business of detached single-family homes but recently through the development of rental housing and commercial facilities, and even home care services and lifestyle-supporting robots.

Daiwa House, which will celebrate its 60 years anniversary in 2015, has established the management strategies of promoting global business development and boosting group partnerships to achieve further growth and offer superb value-added products to meet diverse needs. Daiwa House is particularly focusing on China, America, Australia, and Taiwan, as well as emerging economies such as Vietnam and Indonesia.

As the IT system supports these management strategies, Daiwa House makes advanced use of the latest technologies. Currently, the company uses systems like SAP at a centralized data center in Japan. All their offices, in Japan and overseas, need to access it, so the infrastructure connecting them is a lifeline for their business.

However, issues had started to arise.” Especially recently, with more cloud utilization, more CAD use and more teleconferencing, the amount of image, video, and voice data being exchanged had really ballooned,” says Mr. Kyoji Kato of Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd.

The company instituted a priority control between core systems data and image, video and voice data in order to eliminate any delay in mission-critical data such as accounting information, but was not able to keep pace with the rapid expansion of traffic, resulting in delays even in accounting while less important things like audio quality could not be assured either.

Solution

Leveraged NTT globally integrated network to connect 300 offices around the world

In order to resolve this situation, Daiwa House began considering a new ICT infrastructure to seamlessly connect its 300 offices around the globe and ensure security, quality and reliability for both core and information systems. NTT (NTT) and its network infrastructure including NTT Global Network Services was chosen as its partner.

“Considering our 5- and 10-year group strategies and our plans for foreign development, NTT was the only choice for us. Particularly when it comes to the seamless connection of domestic and overseas networks, we were sure we could rely on NTT cutting-edge technology, low-latency network, and service track record,” says Mr. Kato. Being able to have a one-stop source for phone and LAN lines and equipment was a big plus as well.

“Plus, with NTT Global Network Services, the core systems, information systems, communication systems (images and audio) and other segments can be divided as needed, and communications can be conducted without a hitch and without worrying about network layers of the head office, global offices, branches, sub-branches and group companies,” adds Mr. Naoki Sakurai at Daiwa House.

Benefits

Faster, smoother establishment of global offices
More responsive and flexible global operations

Daiwa House’s new network for core, information and communication systems connected their 300 offices, as well as two off-shore offices, which were linked in through NTT Global Network Services IP-VPN. 5,000 mobile cards were issued, an integrated mobile network for the head office and group companies was set up, and a Wi-Fi network was established as well, all of which contributed to the major benefits reaped by the changes.

The biggest point was achieving a network infrastructure that boosts group partnerships. “Previously, when we would establish, integrate or reorganize offices, setting up the IT environment required starting from scratch, but now we have a designated process,” says Mr. Kato. As a result, the time required to establish an overseas office is reduced, accelerating the pace of business. Additionally, their business continuity is assured by the secure and reliable network.

“Now, we don’t get any complaints about delays, even at the busiest times. Being able to double our bandwidth at the same cost was a huge selling point for NTT Global Network Services. The simpler system also reduced maintenance and operational burdens,” says Mr. Sakurai. “This is really a network environment that provides high cost performance.”

Daiwa House will continue to promote its management strategies with the support of their new network. “We expect that NTT will continue to support our efforts by making proposals to utilize the latest trends in network technology, drawing us a road map to the future,” says Mr. Kato in closing.

Service

NTT Global Network Services

Company

Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd.

Business: Daiwa House is engaged in a wide range of businesses, including the development of detached single-family homes, rental housing, commercial facilities, and other buildings. With “Connecting Hearts” as their management vision, Daiwa aims to become a Group that is co-creating value for individuals, communities, and people’s lifestyles.

URL: http://www.daiwahouse.co.jp/English/

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ASICS Corporation

Challenges

Roll-out of a single global ERP system required a reliable and secure network infrastructure.
Preventing business delays and ensuring fast time to market with low-latency global communication and network flexibility.

Solution

NTT Global Network Services provides a hub connecting ERP and cloud environments.
IPSEC VPN gateways and an advanced WAN infrastructure deliver a flexible network environment and high-speed communication.

Benefits

Fast, secure network connectivity supports real-time ERP-based business decision making for offices anywhere in the world.
Advanced network functions virtualization (NFV) technology provides flexibility when responding to future changes.

ASICS Corporation

Executive Officer
Senior General Manager Global IT Division
Yuichi Honma

“A reliable and secure network was essential for us to accelerate global business.”

ASICS Corporation

Manager
Global Infrastructure Team Global IT Division
Motoji Nakanishi

“We greatly appreciate the ability to adjust the network environment to suit our priorities, systems, and service options.”

Challenges

Integrate core ERP systems operating worldwide. Build a highly reliable global network.

ASICS Corporation is a leading designer and manufacturer of running shoes and other athletic footwear, apparel, and accessories. The company provides a variety of products and services in three major market domains — athletics, sports lifestyles, and comfortable healthcare — and has offices in over 50 countries and regions.

Overseas sales now account for nearly 80% of ASICS total sales. “We have about 40 subsidiaries and continue to add a couple of companies every year,” said Yuichi Honma, Senior General Manager of the Global IT Department at ASICS. “But there are still many countries and regions where we don’t have offices, so we need to be ready to expand our operations.”

The company’s mid-term management plan, ASICS Growth Plan (AGP) 2020, focuses on enhancing direct sales via e-commerce and wholesale stores. This is a change from the company’s traditional emphasis on retail outlets. “For direct sales, we need to meet market demand more rapidly and accurately. We need to know the manufacturing and financial status at each office on a real-time basis. So, we have integrated core systems in each area into a single ERP system that is used globally,” said Mr. Honma.

Achieving a single integrated ERP system on a worldwide scale meant revisiting the requirements of the global network connecting ASICS operational offices. The existing communications infrastructure was mainly used for teleconferencing traffic. For real-time ERP business management data, the network had to be more secure and support much higher data throughput. “We had essential requirements for transmission speed, bandwidth, reliability, and stability,” said Motoji Nakanishi, manager of the global infrastructure team at ASICS. “The network also had to be flexible so we could add or change connections to operational offices in the future.”

Solution

Cloud-based collaboration and a finely adjustable environment. Thorough evaluation of advanced networking technology.

The existing ASICS global network was based on NTT Global Network Services, a VPN service provided by NTT. “We could have continued using the service at that time, but chose to carefully examine other carriers and vendors to see what services were available,” said Mr. Nakanishi. “After a comprehensive examination of the communication quality and coverage of other services, we came to firmly believe that NTT Global Network Services was the best choice.”

NTT Global Network Services offered ASICS three major advantages. The first was flexibility. “NTT carefully supported our requests, such as for ample communication speed, security, and cost savings,” said Mr. Nakanishi. “They provided guaranteed service with redundant communication lines for sales companies that directly contact customers and cannot tolerate an interruption to business operations. For manufacturing plants with less demanding networking requirements they supplied best-effort services that reduced networking fees. NTT responded to each and every one of our requests.”

The second advantage ASICS enjoyed was NTT’s Multi-Cloud Connect, an optional service for closed network connections between NTT Global Network Services and third-party cloud environments. Previously, operational offices used their own VPNs to connect to cloud service providers. Multi-Cloud Connect enabled offices to connect directly to providers without a VPN. This simplified management and reduced the network total cost of ownership (TCO).

Finally, NTT’s advanced networking technology and support for network functions virtualization (NFV) offered high-speed business communications over the WAN. “Since our new ERP will be located in the Netherlands, some latency prevention measures were required for access from Asia and Oceania,” said Mr. Honma. “A high-speed WAN using NFV technology improved network performance. Through our partnership with NTT we have gained access to advanced technologies and solutions that we believe can create an optimized environment for the future.”

Benefits

Network flexibility realized by NFV.
A business communication environment ready for tomorrow.

ASICS has already started renewing its global network. It improved latency and bandwidth at its sales office in Australia and has begun rolling out changes throughout North and South America.

Offices that use information systems accessing Amazon Web Services (AWS) have started using Multi-Cloud Connect. This has eliminated the need for VPNs, and is easing management and lowering costs. “We also use other cloud services such as Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure, and will connect to them through Multi-Cloud Connect in the next phase,” Mr. Honma added.

Multi-Cloud Connect operations are coordinated by NTT global service manager, which monitors and reports on global data traffic. Determining whether the network environment in each operational office should be accelerated or decelerated requires expert knowledge of the network, and this task is being performed with advice from experienced NTT personnel.

ASICS continues to optimize its network with NFV technology. The high-speed WAN has been tested at offices in Australia and is ready for commercial use. An IPSEC VPN gateway is also under consideration. The gateway would enable ASICS to quickly deploy secure communication environments. They anticipate launching networks for new operational offices in one third of the time previously taken.

“With NTT we enjoy one-stop service for all our requests,” said Mr. Honma. “We greatly appreciate it and hope they remain our reliable partner for a long time to come.”

Service

NTT Global Network Services

Our Virtual Private Network Service provides a one-stop shop for enterprise broadband networking and VPN in over 190 countries/regions.

Multi-Cloud Connect

World’s largest SD-WAN footprint covering over 190 countries with industry’s most comprehensive end-to-end SD-WAN service portfolio.

Company

ASICS Corporation

Revenue: JPY399,107 million (as of December, 2016)

Business: ASICS Corporation is a comprehensive sports gear manufacturer offering a broad range of athletic and lifestyle goods including shoes and clothes. Since 2014, over 70 percent of sales have been overseas, and ASICS has gained a reputation as one of Japan’s leading global companies.

URL: www.asics.com

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Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.

Challenges

Insufficient collaboration among offices worldwide
Inconsistency in security levels at global offices

Solution

Integrate email & authentication platforms in a data center in Japan
Achieve secure connection via integrated Internet gateway

Benefits

Faster communication between offices in all countries
Centralized virus scanning and incident management

Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.

General Manager
OA and Network Group
Information Systems Division
Mr. Minehiro Akasaki

“We achieved the right infrastructure to become a global blue-chip company with high profits and high growth”

Challenges

Integrating independently implemented platforms

The Asahi Glass Company (AGC) was established in 1907 and has become one of the world’ s leading glass manufacturers for construction and automobiles and also provides glass panels for LCDs, components for electronics, and products such as fluorine for the chemical industry.

The company is striving for continuous growth under its new AGC Plus management policy. It aims to benefit all stakeholders by providing greater safety, security and comfort for society; by creating new value and functions for customers and business partners that build mutual trust; by enhancing job satisfaction among employees; and by increasing the Groups’ corporate value for investors.

While many companies are recently setting global business expansion as an objective, AGC has been actively expanding in overseas markets for over 50 years. However, its approach to expansion has changed dramatically over the years. In the past, AGC manufactured products locally because heavy glass products were unsuitable for export. This resulted in overseas affiliates becoming strongly independent. “But improvements in logistics now require greater collaboration between affiliates in all countries to enable sharing of production and product stock to meet demand,” explained Mr. Minehiro Akasaki of AGC.

Therefore, AGC launched the Global Communication Enhancement Project (GCEP) to create a system that would enhance communication between bases all over the world. For example, it aimed to fully integrate independently implemented email platforms in Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan. “To integrate authentication platforms, our global business operations had to raise minimum security standards as well,” said Mr. Akasaki.

Solution

Entrusting important equipment to a reliable partner

AGC created its new global communication platform with support from NTT. First, it integrated email and authentication platforms in a domestic data center. Then it connected the email platform with global bases through Enterprise Cloud’s Internet gateway and included functions such as firewalls, IPS and load balancing for web access.

The company chose NTT as its partner because of its superb track record and superior proposal, which included greater data center robustness, higher operation monitoring quality, and higher reliability in handling important network equipment. AGC was already using NTT’s NTT Global Network Services for its global network and Enterprise Cloud as its operation platform for the front-end web server of its official websites and OMS.

“In our longstanding relationship with NTT, they have always been a dependable partner. The integration and operation of our global infrastructure would require difficult tasks such as the handling of local carriers in each region. With its bases in every region, NTT can respond with attentive care on a global scale. Whenever we need help, they can provide it right away. That’s what I call reassuring,” explained Mr. Akasaki. NTT’s service also offered an edge in facilitating the connection between closed networks and the Internet.

Benefits

Enhanced business continuity

By following through with its project, AGC dramatically improved its communication speed in Japan and throughout Asia. “Our unified address book covers the entire Asian region, allowing us to find key employees in Asia, even if we don’t know them personally, by inputting the country and division,” said Mr. Akasaki. Having the same email domain throughout Asia makes communication smoother because the address does not change with job title.

Infrastructure costs and operational workloads were also slashed by relieving each office of its email and authentication servers. More important, the main objective of the project to increase global security was achieved through central virus checking and incident management in Japan. “When a vulnerability issue arose in the SSL, for example, we reduced the risk by simultaneously changing every user’s browser settings from the central management console,” said Mr. Akasaki.

To optimize global business operations, AGC is committed to continuously improving its IT environment through such measures as shifting business application systems currently implemented on-premises to the cloud. For example, MDM tools on Enterprise Cloud allow AGC employees to seamlessly use the same smart devices at home and abroad.

From the business continuity standpoint, various measures are planned, including the use of Enterprise Cloud to secure redundancy in the currently centralized communication platform and Internet gateway. “We look forward to further support from NTT, with its versatile services and high reliability, toward the fulfillment of our project goals,” Mr. Akasaki emphasized.

Interview

You can see customer testimonial video.

Service

Enterprise Cloud

NTT Global Network Services

Company

Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.

Revenue: JPY 1,326.3 billion (as of December 2015)

Business: One of the world’ s leading glass makers, with business operations centering on glass for construction, display panels and automobiles. Also expanding into electronics and chemicals.

URL: http://www.agc.com

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MITSUI & CO., LTD.

Challenges

Standardizing transmission quality and troubleshooting worldwide
Enhancing flexibility and scalability in our business foundation

Solution

Build a communication service infrastructure that serves all offices worldwide
Form a strong Project Promotion Team to promote standardization

Benefits

A standard IT environment for all 138 offices worldwide
A seamless environment that enables operational reform

Mitsui & Co., Ltd.

Associate Officer
General Manager of Information Technology
Promotion Division
Mr. Isao Ueda

“Even after the new IT infrastructure is constructed, this project will carry on for many years via operation and maintenance services. We selected NTT because we trust they are a reliable company with a dedication to security and will commit themselves to this long-term project.”

Challenges

Preparing for global optimization of the IT infrastructure
Further standardization of the communication infrastructure

Mistui & Co., Ltd. is Japan’s representative general trading company. Utilizing its network and information resources around the world, it pursues business ranging from product sales and worldwide logistics and financing to the development of major international projects around the world. To support its diverse business, Mitsui recently began renewing its complex IT infrastructure, which was separately constructed and operated by the head office and group companies, to create a single globally optimized IT infrastructure shared by the entire group.

General Manager Mr. Isao Ueda told us, “Our global network consists of approximately 138 offices and 462 subsidiaries and associated companies in 65 regions*1. As a general trading company, our mission is to meet the needs of society and connect countries with customers, people with things and business with information. Toward this end, it became necessary for us to seamlessly connect our offices and business hubs.”

In 2011, Mitsui began standardizing its communication network among overseas offices and centralizing management of local carriers. However, in some emerging countries there were unavoidable problems in the level of service, such as in the quality of telecommunications and troubleshooting.

“Our goal was to create an environment that gives all employees the same IT service around the world, wherever they work. To expand our global network and deal with post M&A alliances between companies, we needed an IT infrastructure that would swiftly self evolve in response to changing management environments. This explains why our IT infrastructure renovation project was launched,” says Mr. Ueda.

*1 As of October 1, 2016

Solution

Service covering all offices around the world
A multipolar project carried out at the same pace globally

Mitsui & Co., Ltd. required the new IT infrastructure to provide service for all offices and business hubs around the world with the highly reliable, uniform telecommunication quality required of a trading company. It also required a one-stop provider of all IT resources (applications, cloud, on-premise and network services, etc.) that would manage these services and become a business partner.

“It was also important for the provider to coordinate between our staff overseas while mainly working with our project team in Japan to promote this global standardization project. Mitsui is divided into four regions that operate independently. These are The Americas, Europe/Middle East/Africa, Asia/Oceania, and the Far East. Each region requires certain differences in IT infrastructure, but to promote global optimization of our IT infrastructure we sought a solution that would provide consistency throughout the entire company while also allowing close contact between headquarters and local staff,” spoke Mr. Ueda.

After reviewing several vendors from this standpoint, Mitsui chose the total solution proposed by NTT. NTT Global Network Services is a VPN service that runs in 196 countries and connects all Mitsui offices worldwide. It would allow seamless access to Enterprise Cloud and Nexcenter data centers in many countries around the world. Through the partial introduction of NFV*2, the company could convert network appliance functions to services that deliver greater flexibility when expanding business. Moreover, Global Management One would make centralized system operation and monitoring/maintenance possible. These were the reasons Mitsui evaluated NTT highly and determined the company could handle its entire global network while providing unwavering high-quality service.

“Regarding the Project Promotion Team, NTT assigned four project leaders to exclusively work for each of the four regions as well as other personnel to take charge locally. Their staffing plan gave me confidence that Mitsui’s local subsidiaries and our Project HQ could work together at the same pace to carry out our standardization project. Deepening mutual trust and faith in their reliability were other reasons Mitsui mainly choose NTT as its partner,” Mr. Ueda said.

Benefits

Improved operational efficiency and enhanced technology
An infrastructure that supports significant operational reform

Once a new IT infrastructure is built to cover 138 Mitsui & Co., Ltd. offices worldwide, the launching of new businesses and offices will become more feasible and business mobility will be strengthened. Centralization through the customer portal and multi-language support through NTT’s Global Help Desk Service will no doubt help resolve many of the daily concerns of Mitsui employees. In addition to the new IT infrastructure, Mr. Ueda is greatly looking forward to the ability of NTT’s management service to swiftly implement advanced technologies.

In addition to the new IT infrastructure, Mr. Ueda is greatly looking forward to the ability of NTT’s management service to swiftly implement advanced technologies.

“The world of IT is changing so rapidly that new technologies are developed every second. I anticipate that NTT’s management service will operate our new IT infrastructure in a more stable, higher-level condition than our previous system and continually apply cutting-edge technology based on their professional judgment. I look forward to the long-term support of NTT,” said Mr. Ueda.

One specific outcome of the renovation of Mitsui’s IT infrastructure will be “workstyle reform” that seamlessly links all global offices in real time. The current IT infrastructure could only host limited participants in Web conferences between different offices because of disparities in transmission quality and connectivity in each country.

“But now, once you open your laptop in any country, you can instantly connect via Wi-Fi to the world-standard workplace. ID authentication is shared in the unified IT infrastructure. So wherever you are, whether in Tokyo, New York or even Myanmar, if you enter your password, you can join a Web meeting held between offices in different countries, confirm people’s in-or-out-of-office status and share files and images without any stress. The new IT infrastructure will increase the productivity of meetings, improve operation efficiency and accelerate workstyle reform,” Mr. Ueda emphasized.

Mitsui acquired a new business infrastructure. With a new IT infrastructure that seamlessly links all offices globally, it plans to develop new businesses and increase innovation.

*2 Abbreviation for Network Function Virtualization. A network architecture that uses virtualization technology to manage traditional network functions via software on a general-purpose server.

Interview

You can see customer testimonial video.

Service

NTT Global Network Services

Enterprise Cloud

Nexcenter

Nexcenter, the next generation data center service from NTT provides world-class quality and full support.

Global Management One

Global Management One provides one-stop and seamless management services for your entire IT ecosystem.

Company

MITSUI & CO., LTD.

Revenue: JPY 9,616,821 millions (as of March 31, 2016)

Japan’s leading general trading company that operates businesses around the world centering on six major business domains; metals, machinery & infrastructure, chemicals, energy, lifestyles, and innovation & corporate development.

URL: http://www.mitsui.com/jp/en/

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Hitachi, Ltd.

Challenges

To have an integrated global network for the group’s total strengths
Compromised security due to non-integrated systems

Solution

Global Network that connects 6 regional markets
A dedicated project team for smooth migration

Benefits

Enhanced social innovation business by accelerated collaboration
Promoted communication infrastructure standardization

cmn_en_photo_resources_case-studies_hitachi_challenges_01

Hitachi, Ltd.

General Manager
IT Strategy Division
Mr. Yasuo Ohashi

“We were able to implement a high-quality network to serve as the lifeline for Hitachi’s global promotion of its Social Innovation Business strategy.”

cmn_en_photo_resources_case-studies_hitachi_challenges_02

Hitachi, Ltd.

Senior ManagerNetwork Management Department
e-Platform Promotion Office IT Services Division<
Mr. Eiji Katoh

“We were able to implement a high-quality network to serve as the lifeline for Hitachi’s global promotion of its Social Innovation Business strategy.”

Challenges

Integrate the infrastructure of decentralized groups spanning Hitachi’s broad scope of businesses

The Hitachi Group has a wide range of businesses including healthcare, power systems, transportation, urban development, information and telecommunication systems. For further growth, Hitachi focuses on Social Innovation Business as its core corporate strategy.

Social Innovation is where Hitachi’s total solution is maximized based on its various technologies. However, each group company’s collaboration was required more than ever to achieve this. Hitachi is now promoting consolidation of infrastructure that would support the whole group’s business.

There are business-related infrastructure such as financial and accounting systems and IT infrastructure that needed to be integrated. Especially for IT infrastructure, a globally integrated network was critical.

“Without globally integrated network, we cannot realize seamless communication between the groups,” says Mr. Yasuo Ohashi of Hitachi.

Hitachi has expanded its business in six regional markets: Europe, America, Asia, China, India, and Japan. Previously, each region implemented and developed its own network according to their specific needs.

“The IT Services Division, responsible for the group’s IT infrastructure has been providing connection guidelines but each group ended up having different outsourcing criteria, SLA and operations.” says Mr. Eiji Katoh of Hitachi.

This led to a several issues where connection between Japanese and European devices are different from that of Japanese and Chinese. Furthermore, the increasing number of connections was stressing the network, slowing the speed of group collaboration business. The need for standardization and integration was growing higher in the group.

On top of this, there were unnecessary costs caused by investment conflicts within the group and security was compromised in the cost-oriented regions.

Solution

Exceeding the level of SLA with highly professional support

It’s not easy for a huge organization like Hitachi to build an integrated network. “Each company has its existing system based on its regulation. With that in mind, we asked the person in charge of the IT Services Division in each region to meet with the CIO and with local staff to discuss the most appropriate service level and cost,” says Katoh.

The new network had to be acceptable for each group company. Hitachi sent out an RFP to more than 10 service providers in the world. In the end, they decided to go with NTT .

Hitachi not only looked at the provider’s price, quality and global coverage but also its track records and local reputation. They also put high priority on how much the provider can meet Hitachi’s expectation from end user perspective.” For example, if the provider takes the attitude that they will only do what is written in the SLA, we cannot be fully assured in case of troubles. Even if the contract allows for a couple of hours downtime each year, it makes a huge impact on our business if it happened before financial statements are released. We wanted a provider who would sincerely investigate the problem and assure it would not happen again, the same stance Hitachi takes for their customers,” explains Mr. Ohashi.

Benefits

Peace of mind from dedicated team
Accelerated infrastructure integration

Leveraging NTT, Hitachi built GWAN, a large-scale group network, connecting 300,000 users in six regions with 260 circuits. The new network not only strengthened the group collaboration but also eliminated unnecessary costs of investment conflicts and enforced security by a unified policy.

During the implementation NTT’s support was beyond Hitachi’s expectations. To support the global project, NTT formed a dedicated team of 8 regional member for a seamless communication. “In addition to providing face-to-face communicat ion, the project team al so al lowed us to immediately see how far the project was progressing in each area, giving us real peace of mind. And we especially admired NTT’s ability to manage local carriers. Thanks to them, this large-scale project went smoothly,” says Mr. Katoh.

Connection of the main group companies and offices to GWAN is almost completed. For the future, Hitachi is considering further integration by preparing a plan with more focus on the scale and situation of local offices to provide better cost performance. The company will also continue utilizing GWAN to integrate infrastructure, for example by adopting Microsoft’s Unified Communication as a standard tool to support the collaboration between group companies. Integration of business infrastructure such as accounting, human resources and the like has also been accelerated.

Hitachi Group now has the strong network infrastructure to support Social Innovation Business. “We are aiming to make Hitachi a globally competitive company. We expect to leverage NTT’s global capability again in the future to meet our IT needs in various ways,” says Mr. Ohashi.

Service

NTT Global Network Services

Company

Hitachi, Ltd.

Number of employees: 33,500

Business: Promoting Social Innovation Business by leveraging the strengths of each its diverse group companies.

URL: http://www.hitachi.com/

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