TOKYO, Jun 6, 2022 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) today announced that the company will establish a connection point to Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute through a dedicated private network fiber connection to Azure provided by the NEC Inzai Data Center in Japan from June 2022. Once completed, it will become the first data center owned by an IT service provider to furnish a connection point to Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute.Use CaseNEC DX Network ServiceMoreover, NEC will launch the "NEC DX Network Service" to offer low-latency and secure connectivity with Azure by utilizing this connection from September 2022. This NEC service will help accelerate customers' digital transformation and support business growth. In addition, by combining Microsoft 365, the NEC Virtual Desktop service based on Azure and this service, customers can enjoy high-performance and secure digital workplaces to help maximize their productivity. This initiative is a part of a strategic alliance between NEC and Microsoft. NEC aims to provide these services to 100 companies by 2025.In recent cloud service markets, the use of public clouds has increased due to the acceleration of digital transformation for companies, national governments, and local governments. However, many Japanese customers tend to store important data in their own IT assets, and therefore data center services with low-latency and secure connections to public cloud and customers' IT assets have been required.NEC will help accelerate customers' digital transformation through the provision of services created by the data center's interconnected ecosystem. Going forward, NEC will continue to strengthen the interconnected ecosystem by enhancing collaboration with partners that include cloud service providers, and to build network services centering on the NEC Inzai Data Center, which can connect to various business services and provide better multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments to customers.Use Case by utilizing this connectionNEC Inzai Data Center's housing service enables an on-premises connection to "Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute." This highly secure and low-latency connection enables the creation of a more efficient workplace. This will maximize the business performance of corporate and public sector customers and help establish a more personalized work style.About the NEC DX Network ServiceThis network service from the NEC Inzai Data Center connects to Azure ExpressRoute, which directly connects to customers' assets and Azure through a closed network connection. As a result, the closed network connection maintains high security, achieves high availability through redundancy, and enables high-capacity traffic with high-bandwidth connections.Moreover, by using a set of physical lines, this network service offers the connection not only to Azure through a closed connection, but also to Internet connection services, major NEC's data centers, and other cloud services through external service integration. Going forward, NEC will continue to attract ecosystem partners and expand secure, low-latency connectivity services using premises-based connections.About NEC CorporationNEC Corporation has established itself as a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies while promoting the brand statement of "Orchestrating a brighter world." NEC enables businesses and communities to adapt to rapid changes taking place in both society and the market as it provides for the social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. For more information, visit NEC at https://www.nec.com. Copyright 2022 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
TOKYO, Jul 13, 2021 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Microsoft Corp. (Microsoft) and NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) on Tuesday announced an expansion of their decades-long collaboration. Through a new multi-year strategic partnership, the companies will leverage Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, NEC's network and IT expertise, including 5G technologies, and each other's AI and IoT solutions to help enterprise customers and the public sector across multiple markets and industries further accelerate their cloud adoption and digital transformation initiatives.The partnership will see NEC adopt Microsoft Azure as its preferred cloud platform to deliver enhanced capabilities to drive sustained digitalization, help customers transform their business models, and build Digital Workplaces for the post-pandemic "new normal."To accelerate NEC's Digital Workplace innovation and workforce transformation, the companies will work together to migrate NEC's on-premises IT environment to Azure and deploy Azure Virtual Desktop and other Azure services among the NEC Group's 110,000 employees worldwide. This modernization builds on NEC's existing Microsoft 365 platform and will enable a highly sustainable environment that is more secure and robust, accelerating cloud migration for NEC and its customers throughout the commercial and public sector in Japan and around the world.The companies will work together to help improve digital services for public sector and enterprise customers through workplace and workforce transformation. Greater speed and lower-latency data connections will provide high-performance network experiences to create more efficient workplaces and empower employees to realize more personalized work styles for public sector as well as private sector customers.Leveraging the assets of both companies, including Microsoft's Intelligent Edge solutions and NEC's private 5G networking technologies, the companies will work together to help customers across industries transform. In retail, for example, the two companies will work together to analyze customer transaction data in real time using AI to better understand buying patterns, improve operational efficiency and identify new market opportunities.The combination of Azure and both companies' AI and IoT technologies and expertise will enhance NEC's customer experience through advanced solutions and enable more secure maintenance and operation of stores. In addition, NEC and Microsoft plan to explore network innovation initiatives built on Microsoft Azure for enterprise domains and specific industries.Through the partnership, the companies will work together to double the number of digital-focused engineers within the NEC Group who are specialized in Microsoft technologies. This investment in technical capabilities and the expertise of NEC's employees will help ensure customers' digital transformation success, benefiting the market and society."As we've seen over the past year, digital adoption curves are accelerating across every industry and business function," said Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO, Microsoft. "Our strategic partnership with NEC brings together the power of Azure and Microsoft 365 with NEC's services and infrastructure expertise to help public and private sector customers build resilience and transform during this era of rapid change.""NEC is pleased to enter into this strategic collaboration with Microsoft Corp.," said Takayuki Morita, president and CEO of NEC Corporation. "With Microsoft's trusted cloud and services, the experience that NEC has cultivated in its own systems, and both companies' AI and IoT technologies, we will enable companies globally to use digital services that are safer and more secure than ever before as they progress with digital initiatives.""The need for sustainable transformation to ensure business resiliency and growth has never been more important in the world and especially Japan," said Hitoshi Yoshida, president & CEO, Microsoft Japan. "Our partnership will help accelerate the industry's cloud-based digital transformation and utilization of data migration and help Japan's continued success globally, leading to greater economic and societal prosperity."This announcement is based on a history of strong collaboration between Microsoft and NEC spanning more than 40 years. Copyright 2021 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
TOKYO, Oct 16, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu today announced that, in collaboration with Microsoft Japan Ltd., it has recently verified the effectiveness of a system that uses private 5G to visualize real-time data within the facility, with a view toward manufacturers' digital transformation (DX). Figure 1. system image diagramFigure 2. Visualization image of various data by COLMINAUsing Microsoft Azure IoT Edge(1) in the "Fujitsu Collaboration Lab," a private 5G verification facility in Kawasaki, Japan, this system analyzes high-definition images of people moving in the private 5G network and operating data from cameras, mobile terminals, servers, and other equipment. This enables integrated visualization of the status of people, unmanned vehicles, and equipment with the Fujitsu Manufacturing Industry Solution COLMINA(2), unifying private 5G and cloud environments to bring about a system with optimized for network and processing load. Based on the findings of the verification test, Fujitsu will collaborate with Microsoft Japan to conduct verification tests at Fujitsu's plant in Oyama, Japan, Fujitsu's manufacturing base for network products, by the end of fiscal 2020 and jointly develop solutions with a view to achieving global expansion going forward. This verification will be showcased at Fujitsu ActivateNow, to be held as an online virtual conference on October 14, 2020.BackgroundIn the "new normal" society, the manufacturing industry is being called upon to improve the efficiency, automation, and remote capabilities of their operations through digitization, while maintaining quality that will transform manufacturing sites to make them more resilient to changes. Private 5G is attracting attention as one of the key technologies supporting this. Private 5G enables enterprises to flexibly construct and operate 5G networks in their own buildings and premises and is expected to be used for unmanned and remote controls at manufacturing sites. On the other hand, in order to achieve these goals, a large amount of sensor data and high-definition video must be utilized to construct an optimal system according to the requirements of network and application processing load. As the very first achievement of the "Private 5G Partnership Program"; the co-creation program which enables the use of Fujitsu's expertise and technologies such as private 5G along with advanced technology from partners, the system that integrated Fujitsu's private 5G technology with Azure IoT Edge and Azure was constructed and its effectiveness was verified.Summary of Verification1. Purpose: Verification of presumed use cases of private 5G at manufacturing sites and the effectiveness of the implemented system.- Integration of private 5G networks, edge computing and cloud systems- Image analysis and real-time processing with edge computing- Realization of centralized management of facilities and information in the cloud2. Location: Fujitsu Shin-Kawasaki Technology Square "FUJITSU Collaboration Lab"3. Roles of both companies: [Fujitsu] - Provide private 5G systems (Base stations, core network equipment, and mobile terminals) - Data collection and development of AI analysis applications - Construction of a system for visualizing the operation status of facilities using COLMINA [Microsoft Japan] - Provide Azure IoT Edge, Azure - Supporting the data collection and development of AI analysis applications4. System Summary:- Private 5G is utilized to transmit high-definition images of the movement of people and unmanned vehicles, and operation data from mobile terminals and servers to Azure IoT Edge.- Remote controls based on AI image analysis of the movement of people and unmanned carrier vehicle managed in Azure IoT Edge. The analyzed data then notifies Azure.- Azure and the business application "COLMINA" are linked in order to visualize analyzed data (human density in the facility, location information and travel routes of unmanned vehicles, high-definition cameras, and operating conditions of facilities such as mobile terminals and servers) in dashboards.- Azure manages version control of edge applications such as image analysis AI, and delivery of edge applications to Azure IoT Edge.Future DevelopmentsFujitsu plans to deploy this verification system with Microsoft Japan at the Oyama Plant by the end of FY 2020 and to verify it on-site. In this verification test, Fujitsu will use an AI technology for video-based behavioral analysis developed by Fujitsu Laboratories to recognize various human behaviors and to improve the quality and efficiency of operations at manufacturing sites. In addition, Fujitsu will consider jointly developing an edge computing solution utilizing 5G with Microsoft Japan from a global perspective.(1) Azure IoT Edge Locally deployed cloud intelligence on IoT Edge devices(2) COLMINA A digital data solution that connects various information on manufacturing from design to manufacturing and maintenance.About FujitsuFujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company offering a full range of technology products, solutions and services. Approximately 130,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.9 trillion yen (USD35 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020. For more information, please see www.fujitsu.com. Copyright 2020 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com



