Japan-U.S. Business Report articles from March 2000

Japan-U.S. Business Report archives from March 2000

More than in any other industry.(Japanese companies invest in Chemconnect Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... More than in any other industry, the rapid spread of business-to-business electronic commerce, particularly the advent of industrywide Internet exchanges, affects the core operations of Japan's giant trading companies. However, they have been...

The Pasadena, Texas unit of NISSAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES, LTD.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... The Pasadena, Texas unit of NISSAN CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES, LTD. -- which has made organosilicasol, an organic solvent used as an additive in hardeners and anticorrosion agents as well as in polyester resins, since the latter part of 1997 -- is...

A compound discovered by ASAHI CHEMICAL INDUSTRY CO., LTD.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... A compound discovered by ASAHI CHEMICAL INDUSTRY CO., LTD. that shows promise in the treatment of obesity and diabetes will be exclusively developed, commercialized and sold outside East Asia by SMITHKLINE BEECHAM PLC. AZ40140 is a Beta-3...

SANKYO CO., LTD. will fund for another year, or until May 2001.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... SANKYO CO., LTD. will fund for another year, or until May 2001, work with METABASIS THERAPEUTICS, INC. on a new therapy for the treatment of Type II diabetes. Their collaboration, initiated in 1997, is based on the San Diego, California...

In follow-on work, PROTEIN DESIGN LABS, INC. will humanize for FUJISAWA PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... In follow-on work, PROTEIN DESIGN LABS, INC. will humanize for FUJISAWA PHARMACEUTICAL CO., LTD. an antibody for the treatment of inflammatory and immunologically mediated conditions. Under the original July 1999 arrangement, the Fremont,...

The national rollout by WARNER-LAMBERT CO. of Benadryl Allergy/Cold FASTMELT tablets represents the launch in North America of YAMANOUCHI PHARMA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.'s WOWTAB quick-dissolving, without-water dosage form.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... The national rollout by WARNER-LAMBERT CO. of Benadryl Allergy/Cold FASTMELT tablets represents the launch in North America of YAMANOUCHI PHARMA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.'s WOWTAB quick-dissolving, without-water dosage form. The Palo Alto, California...

Another new benchmark has been established in mainframe processing.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Another new benchmark has been established in mainframe processing. HITACHI DATA SYSTEMS CORP.'s System 390-compatible Skyline Trinium Nine Series can support as many as 16 processors, each of which is capable of processing 262 million...

All future Express5800 server, PowerMate desktop and Versa notebook models.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... All future Express5800 server, PowerMate desktop and Versa notebook models will be available with MICROSOFT CORP.'s Windows 2000 operating system, NEC COMPUTERS, INC. announced. The Windows 2000 family includes Windows 2000 Professional for...

A year after releasing what it calls a microdesktop.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... A year after releasing what it calls a microdesktop for space-constrained settings like call centers, NEC COMPUTERS, INC. introduced the PowerMate 2000. Powered by a 500-MHz Pentium III processor, the build-to-order system offers 64 megabytes...

Still a relative newcomer to the extremely competitive American corporate desktop personal computer market.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Still a relative newcomer to the extremely competitive American corporate desktop personal computer market, TOSHIBA AMERICA INFORMATION SYSTEMS, INC.'s Computer Systems Group is trying to carve out a niche for its Equium line by emphasizing the...

In the notebook computer market.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... In the notebook computer market, however, TOSHIBA AMERICA INFORMATION SYSTEMS, INC. CSG ranks as number one. To maintain that standing, the Irvine, California company has several new models in its various lines. In what is known as the desktop...

For business buyers that want increased performance and enhanced multimedia options but at a lower price.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... For business buyers that want increased performance and enhanced multimedia options but at a lower price, TOSHIBA AMERICA INFORMATION SYSTEMS, INC. CSG introduced the Satellite 2675DVD and the Satellite 2715XDVD. The latter pairs a 500-MHz...

TOSHIBA AMERICA INFORMATION SYSTEMS, INC. also continues to cater to budget-conscious business customers, offering them two more choices.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... TOSHIBA AMERICA INFORMATION SYSTEMS, INC. also continues to cater to budget-conscious business customers, offering them two more choices. Just $1,300 will buy the Satellite 2140XCDS with a 450-MHz AMD-K6-2 processor and a 13-inch Color Bright...

The Windows 2000 Professional operating system also is shipping with three high-performance notebook models from SONY ELECTRONICS, INC.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... The Windows 2000 Professional operating system also is shipping with three high-performance notebook models from SONY ELECTRONICS, INC. The VAIO PCG-F490K is the firm's equivalent of a desktop, made possible by a 650-MHz mobile Pentium III...

SONY ELECTRONICS, INC. has two other additions to its VAIO 505 SuperSlim Pro notebook line.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... SONY ELECTRONICS, INC. has two other additions to its VAIO 505 SuperSlim Pro notebook line. The $2,500 VAIO PCG-Z505HE draws power from a 450-MHz mobile Pentium III engine and comes with 64 MB of SDRAM, 8.1 GB of hard-drive capacity and a...

The small to midsize business customer or SOHO (small office/home office).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... The small to midsize business customer or SOHO (small office/home office) user who wants high-performance computing capabilities and the multimedia functionality available in the VAIO line but at a lower price, SONY ELECTRONICS, INC. introduced...

FUJITSU PC CORP. has brought the advantages of the Microsoft 2000 Professional operating system.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... FUJITSU PC CORP. has brought the advantages of the Microsoft 2000 Professional operating system to two of its notebook families. Four models in its mainstream LifeBook E Series of business machines have this capability. They are powered by...

The 36-GB disk drives installed in HITACHI DATA SYSTEMS CORP.'s.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... The 36-GB disk drives installed in HITACHI DATA SYSTEMS CORP.'s Hitachi Freedom Storage 5800 midrange storage subsystem now spin at 10,000 rotations per second. The company calculates that the new drives can improve read performance in...

For its part, FUJITSU COMPUTER PRODUCTS OF AMERICA, INC. is sampling a line of 10.2-GB-per-platter drives for desktop PCs.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... For its part, FUJITSU COMPUTER PRODUCTS OF AMERICA, INC. is sampling a line of 10.2-GB-per-platter drives for desktop PCs that spin at 7,200 rpm and feature FUJITSU, LTD.'s new "silent" drive technology. Available in capacities of 10.2 GB, 15.3...

Given the interest in its initial CD-ReWritable disc drives.(Ricoh Company Ltd.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... Given the interest in its initial CD-ReWritable disc drives, the Disc, Media and Systems Center affiliate of RICOH CO., LTD. introduced the higher-performance Ricoh MediaMaster MPT080 series for home users. The $240 unit combines a 8X...

Big ink-jet printer manufacturer SEIKO EPSON CORP.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... Big ink-jet printer manufacturer SEIKO EPSON CORP. claims to be the first company to introduce a line of printers that can output photographic prints that rival those from commercial photo labs in terms of both quality and longevity....

The pioneer of computer graphics tablets and electronic pens, WACOM CO., LTD., has launched two products.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... The pioneer of computer graphics tablets and electronic pens, WACOM CO., LTD., has launched two products through it Vancouver, Washington unit. The Graphire Pen with Sign-it Plus and Graphire Pen & Mouse with Sign-it Plus combine Wacom's...

NIPPON CHEMI-CON CORP. is building a development center.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... NIPPON CHEMI-CON CORP. is building a development center in suburban Chicago to bolster its standing as the largest maker and supplier of aluminum electrolytic capacitors in North America. The initial mandate for the $1.8 million facility, which...

Ownership of another early Japanese factory in the United States.(Pioneer Video Manufacturing Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... Ownership of another early Japanese factory in the United States is changing hands as a result of the corporate restructuring underway at home. PIONEER CORP. has decided to sell the DVD production assets of its PIONEER VIDEO MANUFACTURING, INC....

In a move designed to save both time and money.(Sony Corp.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... In a move designed to save both time and money, SONY CORP. reportedly will integrate the digital television research and development activities it now performs separately in Japan and at the Sony Technology Center at the company's huge...

Computer, electronics and automotive companies around the world are quickly lining up to license SONY CORP.'s Memory Stick technology.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Computer, electronics and automotive companies around the world are quickly lining up to license SONY CORP.'s Memory Stick technology -- a compact, stick-shaped recording media based on rewritable flash memory technology. Among the 46 companies...

The dismantling of big independent power producer and electricity wholesaler SITHE ENERGIES INC. is underway.(Sithe Energies Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... The dismantling of big independent power producer and electricity wholesaler SITHE ENERGIES INC. is underway (see Japan-U.S. Business Report No. 362, November 1999, p. 7). The New York City company's majority owner, France's VIVENDI, and...

Building on a 1992 information-sharing arrangement.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Building on a 1992 information-sharing arrangement, CHUBU ELECTRIC POWER CO., INC. and CONSUMERS ENERGY, a CMS ENERGY CORP. subsidiary, have agreed to form a purchasing alliance. Japan's third-largest electric utility and Jackson,...

The first nationally chartered Internet bank.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... The first nationally chartered Internet bank, Houston-based COMPUBANK, N.A., raised $36 million in its initial round of institutional financing. SOFTBANK FINANCE CORP. led the fund-raising, in which three major U.S. financial services providers...

One of the start-ups attempting to use the Internet to democratize investment banking by making initial public offerings and similar investments accessible to individual investors has caught the eye of another SOFTBANK CORP. affiliate.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... One of the start-ups attempting to use the Internet to democratize investment banking by making initial public offerings and similar investments accessible to individual investors has caught the eye of another SOFTBANK CORP. affiliate. SOFTBANK...

SOFTBANK FINANCE CORP. agreed to help raise as much as $100 million for TRADESCAPE.COM, INC.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... SOFTBANK FINANCE CORP. agreed to help raise as much as $100 million for TRADESCAPE.COM, INC., a provider of so-called active stock trading systems for professional traders, institutions and active online investors that is in the process of...

Continuing to build a name for itself as a venture capitalist.(Hikari Tsushin Inc.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... Continuing to build a name for itself as a venture capitalist, HIKARI TSUSHIN, INC. was one of a number of new institutional or private investors that joined previous investors in raising $27 million for GARAGE.COM. The Palo Alto, California...

To facilitate its search for possible partners among the vast number of U.S. start-ups in the information technology field, NTT COMMUNICATIONWARE CORP., the software development unit of NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORP., invested $5 million in the just-closed Bay III fund.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... To facilitate its search for possible partners among the vast number of U.S. start-ups in the information technology field, NTT COMMUNICATIONWARE CORP., the software development unit of NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORP., invested $5 million...

Trader NISSHO IWAI CORP. is an established investor in up-and-coming American IT.(Globe Linq LLC)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... Trader NISSHO IWAI CORP. is an established investor in up-and-coming American IT firms through a unit of its main New York City subsidiary. However, it decided to sharpen the focus of these activities by forming GLOBE LINQ, LLC as an...

OMRON CORP., best known as a manufacturer of automated control components.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... OMRON CORP., best known as a manufacturer of automated control components, is following the same course, although not in such an institutionalized way. It has given a three-person team within OMRON ADVANCED SYSTEMS, INC. in Santa Clara,...

Along with STANDARD & POOR'S CORP., the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange and Germany's Deutsche Boerse.(global stock index)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Along with STANDARD & POOR'S CORP., the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange and Germany's Deutsche Boerse are launching the first global stock index fund. As its name indicates, the S&P Global 100 Index will mirror the performance...

Through a series of acquisitions dating back to 1981.(Mitsukan Co. Ltd.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... Through a series of acquisitions dating back to 1981, MITSUKAN CO., LTD. has emerged as the U.S. sales leader in food vinegars. It recently solidified this position through the $13.8 million or so purchase of SPEACO FOODS, INC. The Kansas City,...

The weakness in consumer spending in Japan has hit department stores harder than any other group of retailers.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... The weakness in consumer spending in Japan has hit department stores harder than any other group of retailers, forcing them to take a hard look at all aspects of their operations. For MATSUZAKAYA CO., LTD., the nation's fifth-largest chain,...

Although assembly operations began less than a year ago.(Yushin America increases robot production)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Although assembly operations began less than a year ago, YUSHIN AMERICA, INC. believes that strong U.S. demand for its parts-unloading robots for plastic injection-molding machines will enable it to boost production to 100-plus units this year...

The decision by BELOIT CORP., a big manufacturer of paper-making equipment.(Beloit's decision will affect Mitsubishi Heavy Industries)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... The decision by BELOIT CORP., a big manufacturer of paper-making equipment, to go out of business is creating both problems and opportunities for MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD. On the negative side, MHI is likely to take a loss on the 20...

Fifteen years after BARUDAN CO., LTD., a manufacturer of embroidery and monogram machines.(Barudan America buys MacPherson Meistergram divisions)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Fifteen years after BARUDAN CO., LTD., a manufacturer of embroidery and monogram machines, acquired a U.S. production base now located in Solon, Ohio, the company has gone to direct sales in North America. BARUDAN AMERICA, INC. bought the...

Like other Japanese makers of construction equipment.(Yanmar Diesel Engine Co. forms U.S. direct sales unit)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Like other Japanese makers of construction equipment, YANMAR DIESEL ENGINE CO., LTD. hopes to make up for lagging sales at home by doing more business in the United States. It has formed a direct sales unit at YANMAR DIESEL AMERICA CORP. in...

ELLIOTT CO.(Ebara Corp. will buy out Man AG for control of the company)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... ELLIOTT CO., one of the world's largest makers of steam turbines and compressors for the petrochemical, oil-refining, oil and gas, and power-generation industries, soon will be a wholly owned EBARA CORP. subsidiary. The manufacturer of pumps...

Big plant engineering contractor JGC CORP. is working with GENERAL ELECTRIC CO.(creating a combined-cycle power plant)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Big plant engineering contractor JGC CORP. is working with GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. on a combined-cycle (gas and steam turbine) power plant that runs off a new fuel source. The Japanese company has devised a system that uses the product from...

A $300 million-plus expansion is underway at FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.'s huge manufacturing complex in Greenwood, South Carolina.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... A $300 million-plus expansion is underway at FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.'s huge manufacturing complex in Greenwood, South Carolina. The project includes a second plant for color photographic film and photographic paper and Fujifilm's first U.S....

ASAHI OPTICAL CO., LTD., the maker of Pentex-brand photographic equipment, and HEWLETTPACKARD CO. have teamed up.(to create digital cameras)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... ASAHI OPTICAL CO., LTD., the maker of Pentex-brand photographic equipment, and HEWLETTPACKARD CO. have teamed up to develop state-of-the-art digital camera platforms. Their initial product, scheduled for summer release, is a 2-megapixel-class...

In a deal designed to make digital imaging more accessible to consumers by eliminating the need for a digital camera or a scanner to input pictures into a PC, MICROSOFT CORP. has arranged for the U.S. subsidiary of FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.(to include photo editing software on picture CD's)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... In a deal designed to make digital imaging more accessible to consumers by eliminating the need for a digital camera or a scanner to input pictures into a PC, MICROSOFT CORP. has arranged for the U.S. subsidiary of FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD. to...

The Long Beach, California subsidiary of SEIKO EPSON CORP. is offering EPSON Software Film Factory photo-management software for Macintosh users as well as for Windows-based machines.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... The Long Beach, California subsidiary of SEIKO EPSON CORP. is offering EPSON Software Film Factory photo-management software for Macintosh users as well as for Windows-based machines. The $30 package allows photographers to import, catalog,...

ASAHI GLASS CO., LTD. has a new U.S. distribution arrangement.(for its digital image paper)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... ASAHI GLASS CO., LTD. has a new U.S. distribution arrangement for its Pictorico Ink Jet Media line of specialty papers for digital images. The Melville, New York subsidiary of digital camera maker OLYMPUS OPTICAL CO., LTD. gained exclusive...

More than a few Japanese multinationals experiment.(Anritsu Corp.)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... More than a few Japanese multinationals experiment with different ways of doing business in the United States before introducing successful methods in Japan. The latest case in point is the decision by ANRITSU CORP., a major maker of measuring...

GOODMAN CO., LTD., one of Japan's major importers and wholesalers of medical equipment.(acquires Intella Interventional Systems)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... GOODMAN CO., LTD., one of Japan's major importers and wholesalers of medical equipment, will acquire INTELLA INTERVENTIONAL SYSTEMS, INC. in April. The Sunnyvale, California start-up makes a variety of interventional vascular products used in...

Booming demand for cellular telephones.(Allegro Microsystems increases integrated circuit production)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Booming demand for cellular telephones is benefiting ALLEGRO MICROSYSTEMS, INC., a specialist in mixed-signal integrated circuits. The Worcester, Massachusetts company, a SANKEN ELECTRIC CO., LTD. subsidiary, is ramping up production of IC...

Chipmaker ROHM CO., LTD., a longtime producer in the United States.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... Chipmaker ROHM CO., LTD., a longtime producer in the United States, is moving its 10-year-old design and development center from San Jose, California to San Diego, where a number of leaders in the cell phone business are located. ROHM LSI...

In a coup for SONY CORP. and its effort to make its Memory Stick technology.(Texas Instruments Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... In a coup for SONY CORP. and its effort to make its Memory Stick technology the de facto IC recording media standard for the next generation of portable digital devices, TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC. will develop semiconductors that help hardware...

As part of the overhaul of its massive semiconductor business.(Toshiba Corp.)(Kingston Technology Corp.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... As part of the overhaul of its massive semiconductor business, TOSHIBA CORP. gave KINGSTON TECHNOLOGY CORP. complete responsibility for establishing a new supply chain management model for the company's DRAM business outside Japan. The partners...

About a year and a half after closing its wafer-fabrication facility in Irving, Texas.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... About a year and a half after closing its wafer-fabrication facility in Irving, Texas, HITACHI, LTD. has returned to the city. This time, however, Irving will the center of the company's American semiconductor manufacturing equipment...

TOKYO ELECTRON LTD., Japan's top maker of semiconductor manufacturing equipment.(to develop semiconductor dielectric resins with Dow Chemical)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... TOKYO ELECTRON LTD., Japan's top maker of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, is working with DOW CHEMICAL CO. to advance the development of processes and equipment modules for materials with a low or an ultralow dielectric constant for...

IC assembler MITSUI HIGH-TEC, INC., one of the licensees of TESSERA INC.'s chip-scale packaging technology.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... IC assembler MITSUI HIGH-TEC, INC., one of the licensees of TESSERA INC.'s chip-scale packaging technology, is working with the San Jose, California firm to extend its BGA (ball grid array) CSP technique to next-generation products. At the...

Responding to the demand from semiconductor manufacturers.(Canon introduces krypton scanner)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... Responding to the demand from semiconductor manufacturers for a higher-throughput scanner with both 200mm and 300mm wafer capabilities, the Semiconductor Equipment Division of CANON INC.'s U.S. subsidiary introduced the FPA-5000ESg+. This...

Two SOFTBANK CORP. venture-capital funds threw out a $57 million lifeline to TOYS "R" US, INC.'s struggling on-line retail business.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... Two SOFTBANK CORP. venture-capital funds threw out a $57 million lifeline to TOYS "R" US, INC.'s struggling on-line retail business. TOYSRUS.COM generated a tremendous amount of negative publicity when it was unable to deliver in a timely...

SOFTBANK CAPITAL PARTNERS LP, which operates out of Newton Center, Massachusetts, also invested $31 million in ODIMO.COM.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... SOFTBANK CAPITAL PARTNERS LP, which operates out of Newton Center, Massachusetts, also invested $31 million in ODIMO.COM (formerly Diamonddepot.com), which bills itself as the largest source of certificated diamonds, fine jewelry and brand-name...

For its part, SOFTBANK VENTURE CAPITAL of Mountain View, California led a second round of financing for REELPLAY.COM.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... For its part, SOFTBANK VENTURE CAPITAL of Mountain View, California led a second round of financing for REELPLAY.COM that raised more than $4.5 million. Launched in October 1999, the Santa Monica, California start-up is positioning itself to...

A third round of fund-raising for TRAININGNET INC., which specializes in helping companies with skills training and professional education.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... A third round of fund-raising for TRAININGNET INC., which specializes in helping companies with skills training and professional education, generated $33.7 million, including money from new investor HIKARI TSUSI-IIN, INC. The Billerica,...

HIKARI TSUSHIN, INC., Japan's top distributor of cellular phones.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... HIKARI TSUSHIN, INC., Japan's top distributor of cellular phones, also joined in a second round of financing that generated $27 million for FLOOZ.COM, INC. The New York City company is the creator of the Internet's Flooz gift-giving currency....

Other Japanese companies occasionally are willing to risk a few million dollars on pre-IPO companies.(initial public offering)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... Other Japanese companies occasionally are willing to risk a few million dollars on pre-IPO companies in the hope not only of racking up capital gains but also of expanding their activities at home by partnering with the start-up. For instance,...

Through its GLOBE LINQ, LLC information-technology investment unit, NISSHO IWAI CORP. put up money for BIGFOOT INTERACTIVE.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Through its GLOBE LINQ, LLC information-technology investment unit, NISSHO IWAI CORP. put up money for BIGFOOT INTERACTIVE during the direct e-marketing solutions company's latest round of funding. The investment in the New York City business,...

In a parallel move, NISSHO IWAI CORP. joined other investors in a second round of funding.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... In a parallel move, NISSHO IWAI CORP. joined other investors in a second round of funding for ZKEY.COM that totaled more than $14.2 million and announced plans to introduce the Los Angeles company's simplified and secure information exchange,...

With an eye on the rapid growth of Internet-enabled mobile phones in Japan.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... With an eye on the rapid growth of Internet-enabled mobile phones in Japan, MITSUBISHI CORP. and its MC CAPITAL INC. investment banking unit put up funds for the first major outside round of financing undertaken by DEJIMA, INC. The Mountain...

A Tokyo start-up that specializes in developing software.(Infoteria Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... A Tokyo start-up that specializes in developing software for the eXtensible Markup Language that plays such a key role in e-business activity has formed a marketing subsidiary in Beverly, Massachusetts. The INFOTERIA INC. unit, which is staffed...

In fairly quick order, NEC AMERICA, INC. found a contract manufacturer.
March 1, 2000... In fairly quick order, NEC AMERICA, INC. found a contract manufacturer to buy its 15-year-old Hillsboro, Oregon communications network equipment and automotive electronics plant and continue production under the NEC brand name (see Japan-U.S....

Like other Japanese makers of high-speed optical network equipment, HITACHI, LTD. is trying to position its products.
March 1, 2000... Like other Japanese makers of high-speed optical network equipment, HITACHI, LTD. is trying to position its products to capitalize on the huge amount of investment going into communications infrastructure in the United States. The company's...

Through a partnership with ARTISOFT, INC., a Cambridge, Massachusetts supplier of computer telephony and communications software.
March 1, 2000... Through a partnership with ARTISOFT, INC., a Cambridge, Massachusetts supplier of computer telephony and communications software, TOSHIBA CORP. is moving into the emerging world market for server-based PBXs (private branch exchanges) for small...

KYUSHU MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC CO., LTD. has joined such big names as CISCO SYSTEMS, INC. in investing in SHAREWAVE, INC.
March 1, 2000... KYUSHU MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC CO., LTD. has joined such big names as CISCO SYSTEMS, INC. in investing in SHAREWAVE, INC. The El Dorado, California company is in the forefront of the drive to bring high-performance, multimedia-capable broadband...

KYOCERA WIRELESS CORP. is in operation.
March 1, 2000... KYOCERA WIRELESS CORP. is in operation, having completed the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of QUALCOMM INC.'s $1.4-billion-a-year CDMA (code-division multiple access) wireless handset business (see Japan-U.S. Business Report...

The first products previewed by KYOCERA WIRELESS CORP. are targeted at opposite ends of the market.
March 1, 2000... The first products previewed by KYOCERA WIRELESS CORP. are targeted at opposite ends of the market. Occupying the entry-level space are the QCP 2035, a trimode phone that operates on 1,900-MHz CDMA digital PCS (personal communications services)...

After ending U.S. production of analog wireless phones in March 1998.
March 1, 2000... After ending U.S. production of analog wireless phones in March 1998 because of rising costs and weak sales, MATSUSHITA COMMUNICATION INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. is set to return this year to the huge American cellular market. Actual reentry plans are...

Digital wireless network technology might not be as advanced in the United States as it is in Japan.
March 1, 2000... Digital wireless network technology might not be as advanced in the United States as it is in Japan, but the sheer size of the American market makes this country a magnet for Japanese suppliers. SHARP CORP., for example, has forged an alliance...

TAIYO YUDEN CO., LTD., a manufacturer of high-frequency modules for communications, computer and other applications, has tied up with a second American company.
March 1, 2000... TAIYO YUDEN CO., LTD., a manufacturer of high-frequency modules for communications, computer and other applications, has tied up with a second American company in an effort to get a head start on products based on the next-generation Bluetooth...

Continuing to gain ground on MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. in the digital studio and field broadcasting equipment market.
March 1, 2000... Continuing to gain ground on MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. in the digital studio and field broadcasting equipment market, SONY CORP. has landed a $15.6 million or so contract from NATIONAL BROADCASTING CO. The order includes MPEG IMX...

Determined to cut procurement costs by 20 percent to get its business back in the black.
March 1, 2000... Determined to cut procurement costs by 20 percent to get its business back in the black, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD. became the first Japanese automotive manufacturer to agree to join the Internet marketplace for parts that GENERAL MOTORS CORP.,...

Although it has expressed qualified interest in joining this exchange, TOYOTA MOTOR CORP.'s initial venture into the world of B2B e-commerce in the United States will take a different direction.
March 1, 2000... Although it has expressed qualified interest in joining this exchange, TOYOTA MOTOR CORP.'s initial venture into the world of B2B e-commerce in the United States will take a different direction. Its Torrance, California sales subsidiary is...

Next year, HINO MOTORS, LTD. will broaden the lineup of commercial trucks.
March 1, 2000... Next year, HINO MOTORS, LTD. will broaden the lineup of commercial trucks it sells in the United States by introducing the cab-over Dutro. The 1,564 trucks that its Orangeburg, New York distribution unit sold in 1999 all were in the Class 4 to...

HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., the first Japanese vehicle maker to build its products in the United States.
March 1, 2000... HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., the first Japanese vehicle maker to build its products in the United States, has achieved another distinction. Its Marysville, Ohio factory has turned out 5 million Accord sedans. Production of this model, which ranks...

Few of its rivals at home have enjoyed the U.S. production and sales successes of this pioneering company.
March 1, 2000... Few of its rivals at home have enjoyed the U.S. production and sales successes of this pioneering company. Certainly not MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORP. Its Normal, Illinois assembly plant, which currently produces the Galant sedan, Eclipse sports...