Envisioning the Future of the New “Connected” WorldーThe dawn of the 5G era
The world of 5G is one where all objects continuously become more interconnected. 3G saw the integration of mobile phones with the internet, and with 4G, the advent of smartphones ushered in a completely new technological era. As 5G begins, we expect to see the realization of a ‘smart society,’ whereby physical objects continue to connect to each other, exchange data, give each other orders, and that AI will offer value-added propositions.
One specific outcome we expect to see is the creation of ‘smart factories,’ where networks are implemented in production lines, with data analysis and AI tools used to make improvements in quality and productivity. We also expect to see remote-controlled construction machinery, telemedicine, and low-lag downloading of 4K, 8K, and other high-resolution formats. 5G has already started rolling out in some American cities, and Japan will follow suit in spring, 2020. We anticipate that the shift to 5G will be a major turning point, making people’s lives both more convenient and more colorful. At KDDI America, we know that in order to be even more supportive of customers’ business transformation than ever before, we must also continue to revolutionize ourselves.
One example of how we have applied IoT is with connected cars. Among the various global initiatives in this field that are currently underway, KDDI has started supporting the communication infrastructure for Toyota’s new global connected cars. By installing a SIM card inside the vehicle, we enable a variety of new features: remote vehicle diagnostics to provide vehicle health information and maintenance schedules, remotely starting the engine, opening and closing doors, automatic emergency calls, in-car wifi for easy internet access on the open road, and more. Starting this year, this has been KDDI America's role in North America.
KDDI America - Thirty years in North America
KDDI entered the North American market thirty years ago, on October 1st, 1989. In our tenth year, we began doing telecommunications business along with the liberalization of the telecom sector in the U.S. In our 20th year, we strengthened our mobile phone sales and retail business to accommodate the growing popularity of mobile communication. Throughout KDDI’s history, we have shifted our main business slightly to adapt and anticipate the changing times. Now that we have reached a major milestone in our 30th year, we want to concentrate on contributing to our customers’ digital transformation. Using our existing telecom infrastructure, data centers, and system integration services as a foundation, we want to offer customers services that can contribute to their primary business, such as: IoT-based real-time vehicle management, robotic process automation (RPA) to assist the automation of repetitive tasks, and using SMS/RMS text messaging services to create new customers and strengthen retention.
Beginning in Spring 2019, the slogan for KDDI Group will be “Tomorrow, together.” Applying cutting-edge technology such as 5G, IoT, and big data, we will work to ‘connect’ our customers with the society they live in, and bring new experiential value to everyday life and business. We will continuously develop and grow towards the future, together with our customers and our society — that is what this slogan means.
Implementing new services and technologies requires both courage and determination. We want to help customers take advantage of the opportunity to do business in the advanced IT market of the United States, so that they may discover a seed for global development, even if the first step is as small as contacting us for a consultation. In the past, we were focused mainly on ‘defensive IT,’ — network, PC, server, televised meeting systems, access control security cameras, and cybersecurity. From now on, we will be supporting our customer’s efforts with all our strength, advancing their business using an ‘aggressive IT’ approach, including visualization and automation of production facilities, big data, and AI.
Pursuing the quality demanded by Japanese companies
Technology advances extremely quickly in America, and the number of competitors makes it a difficult market. In order to compete here, it is necessary for players from different fields to form a system of cooperative creation. I hope that by taking charge of the IT communications sphere, we can offer services that help accelerate others’ businesses. While it is true that working with local carriers in the U.S. may bring about some confusion due to different perceptions of speed and quality, we believe that finding a way to combine the quality demanded by Japanese companies with the level provided by local carriers is part of KDDI America’s purpose, and it is space to show what we are capable of.
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I was appointed president of KDDI America and Telehouse America in April 2018, after which I merged their operations. This spring, we moved the KDDI America headquarters to Staten Island, where Telehouse headquarters is located. I have great expectations for the synergy that will be created by these companies joining forces. With the advent of 5G, my biggest mission now is to get new IoT and other businesses off of the ground. I also feel a strong responsibility to create an environment where all of the company’s employees can grow while immersing themselves in their work. Staten Island is a bit distant from Manhattan — sometimes we can even see deer near the office. But it is also an ideal BCP (Business Continuity Plan) in the event of unforeseen disasters. We welcome visitors to our office and data center on Staten Island, so please feel free to stop by.