Telecommunications

August 2004

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and electronics manufacturers will aim to jointly establish common standards governing such Internet-compatible digital products as flat-panel televisions and DVD recorders, The Nihon Keizai Shimbun learned on August 25. Ways of identifying purchasers of TV programming online and collecting payments from them are among the nine items that will be addressed next fiscal year. By standardizing specifications for protecting copyrighted materials and personal information, METI seeks to promote efficient development of digital home appliances. Through this cooperative effort, the participants aim to make their common specifications the global standards. METI next spring will establish a research committee with the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association, which counts major manufacturers as members. Common specifications will be adopted as a rule if they already exist. But if multiple standards exist, the committee will decide on a single standard or make them compatible with one another. The ministry will seek several billion yen for this initiative when it submits next fiscal year's budget request. Home appliances that can handle digital data, such as flat-panel TVs, will become Internet-compatible and capable of linking up with one another for data exchange. This will make it possible to transfer content downloaded on one appliance to another, for example. Electronics manufacturers are developing such products, and Internet-compatible TVs are already on the market. METI sees these products coming into wide use from about 2007 and has decided to step up efforts to establish common standards for these new functions. In addition to standardizing methods of identity verification and online payment, the research committee next fiscal year will seek to establish common standards for protecting copyrighted programming sold online. Another 19 items will be addressed by fiscal 2007, including data compression standards. These common standards will be submitted to the Japanese Industrial Standards Committee and the International Organization for Standardization, laying the groundwork to have them accepted as international standards. As digital home appliances move closer in function to personal computers, PC manufacturers are starting to enter the digital appliance market. Dell Inc., for instance, markets LCD (liquid crystal display) TVs. Having seen the domination of US manufacturers in the PC market, METI will assist Japanese companies in developing parts and software technologies, and maintaining their current lead over overseas rivals in digital home appliances. (August 26, Tokyo, from The Nihon Keizai Shimbun)

BT Japan Corp. plans by the first half of next year to double the number of its employees from almost 50 at present, with an eye toward bolstering its comprehensive telecommunications outsourcing service that includes system configuration, operations and maintenance. The new employees will be assigned to departments such as consulting and marketing at the Japanese unit of British Telecommunications Plc, the U.K.'s largest telecommunication company. It will aim to tap new clients, including Japanese auto and financial companies expanding overseas as well as foreign companies that have bases in Japan. BT Japan aims to increase sales by more than 50% through its outsourcing business. (August 19, Nikkei, from The Nikkei Business Daily Thursday edition)