Japan Computer Industry Scan articles from May 2002

Japan Computer Industry Scan archives from May 2002

Taiwan IT hardware production forecast to grow 17.5% this year.(Market Intelligence Center ()
May 6, 2002... TAIPEI, April 29 Kyodo Taiwanese makers' output of information technology (IT) products such as personal computers, monitors and disk drives will increase 17.5% year-on-year in 2002, an industry monitoring body said Monday. The...

Klez virus infects 379,000 computers in month.
May 6, 2002... TOKYO, April 30 Kyodo The computer virus Klez has infected more than 379,000 computers over the past month, the largest in a month for any virus, an official with antivirus software maker Trend Micro Inc. said Tuesday. Of the total,...

Sony, RealNetworks boost ties on digital content distribution.(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... NEW YORK, April 30 Kyodo Sony Corp. and RealNetworks Inc., a major U.S. maker of Internet music and video distribution software, said Tuesday they agreed to enhance business ties to deploy RealNetworks' software in a range of Sony's...

Nintendo buys all shares of U.S. software affiliate.(Retro Studios Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... TOKYO, May 2 Kyodo Major game-machine maker Nintendo Co. said Thursday it has bought its U.S. software-developing affiliate, Retro Studios Inc., as a wholly owned subsidiary. It acquired Retro's remaining 55 million shares for $1...

302,493 sign on to DSL services in March.(according to Japan's Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... TOKYO, May 2 Kyodo The number of subscribers to digital subscriber line (DSL) high-speed Internet access services totaled 2,378,795 at the end of March, an increase of 302,493 over a month earlier, the telecommunications ministry said...

Use of Internet to buy books increasing.(MyVoice Communications Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 6, 2002... TOKYO, May 2 Kyodo With personal computers finding their way into more households, the ratio of Internet users who have bought books online has increased 1.3 times from a year earlier, an Internet service researcher said Thursday. ...

Items auctioned online by Yahoo falls by nearly half.
May 13, 2002... TOKYO, May 7 Kyodo The number of items put on the online auction block by Yahoo Japan Corp. has fallen by nearly half since early March due to a hike in user fees in April, while commission-rate cuts by rival site Bidders have helped...

Interlink launches free int'l call service to Tokyo.
May 13, 2002... TOKYO, May 7 Kyodo Internet service provider Interlink Ltd. said Tuesday it has begun allowing users of its Internet phone service Zoot Phone to call Tokyo from abroad at no charge. The move gave Interlink an edge over Softbank...

No. of broadband Internet access subscribers increases sharply.(Nomura Research Institute survey)(Brief Article)
May 13, 2002... TOKYO, May 7 Kyodo The number of people in Japan using broadband Internet access services to get online in March accounted for 10.8% of all Internet users, up sharply from 2.2% a year earlier, the Nomura Research Institute said in a...

Panel recommends technical norms for outdoor PC-Web connection.
May 13, 2002... TOKYO, May 7 Kyodo An advisory panel to the government recommended a radio frequency Tuesday through which personal computer users in Japan would be allowed to connect their PCs to the Internet while outdoors, the government said. ...

Visitors to McDonald's to use wireless Internet services.
May 13, 2002... TOKYO, May 7 Kyodo (EDS: RECASTING WITH ANNOUNCEMENT BY SOFTBANK, MCDONALD'S) McDonald's Co. (Japan) Ltd. and the Softbank group jointly said Tuesday that visitors to McDonald's restaurants will be able to enjoy wireless Internet...

Online postal savings system up and running again.
May 13, 2002... TOKYO, May 7 Kyodo (EDS: RECASTING WITH RESUMPTION OF OPERATION) The online electronic postal savings system resumed functioning Tuesday evening after computer problems inconvenienced customers for about five hours, the Postal...

Softbank unit Smart Firm cedes management control to Karino.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2002... TOKYO, May 7 Kyodo Softbank Corp. Group arm Smart Firm, a provider of Internet-related assistance services for small and midsize companies, said Tuesday it has ceded management control to President Hideki Karino due to his acquisition of...

Japan Net-access peripherals market to grow 10.9% in FY 2002.
May 13, 2002... TOKYO, May 8 Kyodo Shipments of computer peripherals for Internet access in Japan are expected to grow 10.9% in fiscal 2002 from the previous year to 590.7 billion yen, a market research company said Wednesday. Yano Research...

Nintendo, Namco team up on game software.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2002... TOKYO, May 8 Kyodo Nintendo Co. and Namco Ltd. have formed an operational alliance to develop and market software for Nintendo's GameCube home video game machine and Game Boy Advance handset console, the two major manufacturers said...

eAccess to test next-generation Internet protocol.
May 13, 2002... TOKYO, May 8 Kyodo eAccess Ltd., a fast-growing Internet service provider (ISP), will begin as early as next year testing the next-generation Internet protocol (IP) in a bid to begin commercial service using the new Web connection...

EU set to impose 100% retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products.
May 13, 2002... BRUSSELS, May 8 Kyodo The European Union (EU) said Wednesday its member states have agreed to impose 100% tariffs on U.S. products worth 360 million euros (42 billion yen) possibly next month in retaliation for the U.S. imposition of...

FOCUS: Sales bloom at online florists ahead of Mother's Day.
May 13, 2002... TOKYO, May 9 Kyodo Online flower businesses are blooming ahead of Mother's Day on May 12. Buying flowers online has become common among Internet users since even men, sometimes shy about visiting a florist, can purchase a bouquet...

Konami's group net profit falls 37.7% in FY 2001.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2002... TOKYO, May 9 Kyodo Game software developer Konami Co. said Thursday its group net profit fell 37.7% in fiscal 2001 from the previous year to 13.57 billion yen due to loan-loss charges and costs such as those related to fixed asset sales....

Gov't to install Net facilities in all 450,000 classrooms.
May 13, 2002... TOKYO, May 10 Kyodo A government panel drafted Thursday a plan to install Internet-connection facilities in all 450,000 classrooms of the nation's 40,000 public elementary, junior high and senior high schools by the end of fiscal 2005....

Some 320,000 sign up to DSL services in April.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2002... TOKYO, May 10 Kyodo The number of subscribers to digital subscriber line (DSL) high-speed Internet access services totaled 2,699,285 at the end of April, up about 320,000 from 2,378,795 at the end of March, the telecommunications ministry...

No. of IP lines to quadruple to 6.51 mil. by end of 2005.
May 13, 2002... TOKYO, May 10 Kyodo The number of lines for individual users of Internet Protocol (IP) telephone services is expected to more than quadruple to 6.51 million by the end of 2005 from 1.58 million at the end of 2001, a market research...

Softbank reports net loss of 88.76 bil. yen for FY 2001.
May 13, 2002... TOKYO, May 10 Kyodo (EDS: ADDING INFO) Softbank Corp. said Friday it incurred a consolidated net loss of 88.76 billion yen in the fiscal year ended March 31, a reversal from a profit of 36.63 billion yen the previous year. The...

Yahoo Japan releases monthly data to woo investors.(Brief Article)
May 13, 2002... TOKYO, May 11 Kyodo In a move apparently aimed at wooing investors, Yahoo Japan Corp. said Friday it has decided to release key company business data on a monthly basis instead of on a quarterly basis so far. The data released...

IBM to set up broadband network for elementary schools.
May 20, 2002... TOKYO, May 13 Kyodo IBM Japan Ltd. said Monday it will jointly set up with the Mitaka city government in Tokyo a broadband network linking elementary schools there with parents and local residents -- the first such network in Japan....

35% of Japan companies monitor online browsing, email.(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... TOKYO, May 14 Kyodo Thirty-five percent of companies in Japan monitor the Internet browsing and email record of their employees to ensure that company online facilities are not used for private purpose, according to a survey conducted by...

ITC to probe claim Hitachi infringed EMC patents.(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... WASHINGTON, May 13 Kyodo The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) said Monday it has voted to launch a probe into patent infringement charges filed by a U.S. firm against Japanese electronics maker Hitachi Ltd. and its U.S....

VeriSign Japan to launch e-certificate service.
May 20, 2002... TOKYO, May 14 Kyodo (EDS: FIXING SOME PARTS, ADDING MORE INFO) VeriSign Japan K.K., a digital trust service provider, said Tuesday it will team up with seven Internet service providers including NEC Corp. and Nifty Corp. to start...

Sony unit to effectively offer 10% price cut on PlayStation 2.(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... TOKYO, May 14 Kyodo Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. said Tuesday it will stop attaching a suggested retail price from Thursday on its popular PlayStation (PS) 2 and PS one game consoles, a move effectively cutting current prices by some...

Casio Computer falls into red in FY 2001.
May 20, 2002... TOKYO, May 15 Kyodo Casio Computer Co. said Wednesday it fell into the red on a group basis in the year to March 31 due to declining sales and product prices as well as restructuring costs and appraisal losses on its securities...

Microsoft reduces price of Xbox console in U.S., Japan.(Brief Article)(Abstract)
May 20, 2002... TOKYO, May 15 Kyodo Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday announced price cuts for its Xbox video game console in the United States and Japan, following a similar discount move announced a day earlier by Sony Corp. for its PlayStation 2. ...

Online sales commissions may soar to 230 bil. yen in FY 2006.
May 20, 2002... TOKYO, May 15 Kyodo Commissions charged on online purchases are likely to rocket to 170-230 billion yen in fiscal 2006 from 30 billion yen in fiscal 2001, according to a report compiled by Web research agency Vagabond Co. But the...

70% of Japan workers use Internet for personal reasons.(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... TOKYO, May 16 Kyodo More than 70% of Japanese have used the Internet for personal reasons in the workplace, according to a recent survey by research firm Macromill Inc. The survey shows only 27.5% of the respondents said they have...

TTNet plans to join forces with Poweredcom in FY 2003.(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... TOKYO, May 17 Kyodo Tokyo Telecommunication Network Co. (TTNet) plans to join forces with Poweredcom Inc., a long-distance data-transmission firm funded by 10 electric power firms, TTNet officials said Friday. TTNet, an affiliate of...

Sega's net balance remains in minus territory in FY 2001.
May 20, 2002... TOKYO, May 17 Kyodo Sega Corp. said Friday it incurred a group net loss of 17.83 billion yen in fiscal 2001, down from the previous year's loss of 51.73 billion yen. The game software maker remained in the red in the year ended in...

New Square PlayStation 2 games go off-line.(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... TOKYO, May 17 Kyodo (EDS: UPDATING) Game software maker Square Co. said Friday some of its new online games that can be played via the Internet on Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.'s popular PlayStation 2 console are currently...

Excite Japan starts new Internet search service.
May 20, 2002... TOKYO, May 17 Kyodo Internet search engine operator Excite Japan Co. said Friday it started the same day a new service that allows a user to jump to sites by typing in a key word in the address column. Dubbed ''JWord,'' the service...

Seiyu sends infected e-mail to online service subscribers.(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... TOKYO, May 17 Kyodo Supermarket chain operator Seiyu Ltd. said Friday it has sent a virus-infected e-mail to some subscribers to its Seiyu Net Super online home delivery service. Posting a notice on its Web site, Seiyu apologized for...

Matsushita to have PDP unit set up new plant to boost output.(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... OSAKA, May 17 Kyodo Matsushita PDP Co., a subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., will boost output of plasma display panels (PDPs) by setting up a new plant for about 50 billion yen, Matsushita officials said Friday. ...

Toshiba to make laptop PCs in China.(Brief Article)
May 20, 2002... TOKYO, May 17 Kyodo Toshiba Corp. said Friday it will start manufacturing laptop personal computers (PCs) in Hangzhou in China's Zhejiang Province in April 2003. Toshiba Information Equipment (Hangzhou) Co., to be established in...

TTNet suffers 1st operating revenue fall since 1986 founding.(Tokyo Telecommunication Network Co.)(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... TOKYO, May 20 Kyodo Tokyo Telecommunication Network Co. (TTNet) said Monday it saw its parent-only operating revenue fall in the fiscal year to March 31 for the first time since it was established in 1986. Unconsolidated operating...

FOCUS: Information concentration convenient but dangerous.(Japan)(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... TOKYO, May 21 Kyodo (EDS: THIS IS THE LAST OF FIVE NEWS FOCUS STORIES ON MEDIA BILLS) With the popularization of computers in Japan, the centralization of information about individuals by the administration is steadily progressing, to the...

Toshiba develops slim, flexible liquid crystal display.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... TOKYO, May 21 Kyodo Toshiba Corp. said Tuesday it has developed what it claims is the world's first large flexible liquid crystal display (LCD), paving the way for showing images on curved screens and a step toward foldable LCDs. ...

NEC to make Gunma factory phone-based PC customer support base.
May 27, 2002... TOKYO, May 21 Kyodo NEC Corp. said Tuesday it will turn its personal computer (PC) plant in Gunma Prefecture, one of NEC's two domestic PC manufacturing bases, into a telephone-based technical support center for its customers. The...

Nintendo to cut price of GameCube console by 20%.
May 27, 2002... OSAKA, May 21 Kyodo (EDS: CHANGING DATELINE, COMBINING EARLIER STORY HEADLINED 'NINTENDO CUTS PRICES OF GAMECUBE VIDEO GAME CONSOLE IN U.S.) Nintendo Co. said Tuesday it will cut the suggested retail price of its GameCube video game...

Japan's Internet users total 56 million in 2001.(Statistical Data Included)
May 27, 2002... TOKYO, May 21 Kyodo Japan became the world's second largest Internet power after the United States in terms of users as the number rose to 55.93 million as of the end of 2001, up by 8.85 million from the year before, the government said...

Hitachi develops robotic arm equipped with endoscope.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... TOKYO, May 22 Kyodo Hitachi Ltd. said Wednesday it has developed a robotic arm equipped with an endoscope that can be easily adjusted by surgeons while they are operating. The new arm means surgeons will no longer have to rely on...

Xerox Int'l Partners' Arima to head Fuji Xerox.(Toshio Arima to replace Masamoto Sakamoto)(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... TOKYO, May 22 Kyodo Fuji Xerox Co. plans to appoint Toshio Arima, head of California-based Xerox International Partners, as president, replacing the incumbent Masamoto Sakamoto who will become an adviser, Fuji Xerox officials said...

Namco swings back into black on restructuring in FY2001.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... TOKYO, May 23 Kyodo Namco Ltd., a leading maker of video game equipment and software, said Thursday it climbed back into the black in fiscal 2001 on the back of operational restructuring such as the closure of unprofitable arcade game...

Yahoo to shut down European auction sites, eBay to take over.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... NEW YORK, May 23 Kyodo Yahoo Inc. said Thursday it will withdraw from the online auctioning business in six European countries, and instead promote auction sites run by eBay. The six countries are Britain, France, Germany, Italy,...

Moody's downgrades Casio Computer's long-term debt rating.(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... TOKYO, May 24 Kyodo Moody's Investors Service Inc. said Friday it has downgraded the senior unsecured debt rating of Casio Computer Co. to Baa3 from Baa2 with a stable outlook. The downgrade ''reflects Casio's weakening...

Nintendo names new president.(Satoru Iwata to replace Hiroshi Yamauchi)(Brief Article)
May 27, 2002... OSAKA, May 24 Kyodo Nintendo Co. announced Friday the appointment of director Satoru Iwata, 42, as its next president to replace Hiroshi Yamauchi, effective next Friday. Yamauchi, 74, will become an adviser and director without...