Fujitsu

Fujitsu Limited
富士通株式会社 TypePublic (TYO: 6702) Founded 1935Headquarters Tokyo, Japan Key people Hiroaki Kurokawa, President Industry Computer hardware, software Productssoftware & services, Consulting,computing & communications platforms, electronic devices Revenue▲¥5,566.4 billion yen(year ending 31 March 2008) Employees~160,000 (31 March 2008) Website www.fujitsu.com

For the district in Saga, Japan, see Fujitsu, Saga.

Fujitsu (富士通株式会社, Fujitsū Kabushiki-kaisha ?) is a Japanese company specializing in semiconductors, computers (supercomputers, personal computers, servers), telecommunications, and services, and is headquartered in Tokyo.

Fujitsu employs around 160,000 people and has 500 subsidiary companies. Internationally, Fujitsu considers IBM to be its main competitor. Its historical domestic rival is NEC.

The slogan "The possibilities are infinite" can be found below the company's logo on major advertising and ties up with the small logo above the letters J and I of the word Fujitsu. This smaller logo, similar to a sideways figure eight, represents the symbol for infinity.

1 History
2 Product lines
3 In popular culture
4 Australian Spokesman
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

History

The company was established in 1935 under the name Fuji Tsūshinki Seizō (富士通信機製造, Fuji Telecommunications Equipment Manufacturing), a spinoff of the Fuji Electric Company, this in turn being a joint venture between the Furukawa Electric Company and German conglomerate Siemens founded in 1923. Despite its connections to the Furukawa zaibatsu, Fujitsu escaped the Allied occupation of Japan mostly unscathed.

In 1954 Fujitsu manufactured Japan's first computer, the FACOM 100, and in 1961 the transistorized FACOM 222. In 1967, the company's name was officially changed to the contraction Fujitsū (富士通).

In 1955, Fujitsu founded Kawasaki Frontale (川崎フロンターレ, Kawasaki Furontāre) as a Fujitsu soccer club. Kawasaki Frontale has now been a J. League football club since 1999.

In 1990 Fujitsu took over International Computers Limited (ICL) in the UK, ultimately becoming Fujitsu Services in 2002. Fujitsu Service's business is helping its customers realise the value of information technology through the application of consulting, systems integration and managed service contracts. It serves customers in the private and public sectors across Europe including retail, financial services, healthcare and Government.

From February 1989 until the Summer of 1997 Fujitsu built the FM Towns PC variant. It started as a proprietary PC variant intended for multimedia applications and computer games, but later became more compatible with regular PCs. In 1993, the FM Towns Marty was released, a gaming console compatible with the FM Towns games.

Amdahl became a wholly owned subsidiary of Fujitsu in 1997 and with it the DMR consulting group, based in Canada.

The active partnership with Siemens AG was revived in 1999 in the form of Fujitsu Siemens Computers, now one of Europe's largest IT hardware suppliers, and owned 50/50 by Fujitsu and Siemens.

Plasma displays In 1992, Fujitsu introduced the world's first 21-inch full-color display. It was a hybrid, based upon the plasma display created at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and NHK STRL, achieving superior brightness. Many people will be familiar with Fujitsu through such consumer products - they are sold through a subsidiary joint venture company Fujitsu General, along with air conditioners.

On March 2, 2004, Fujitsu Computer Products of America lost a class action lawsuit over hard disk drives with defective chips and firmware.

In October 2004, Fujitsu's Australian subsidiary buys the Australian arm of AtosOrigin, a systems implementation company specialising in SAP.

On April 1, 2006, Fujitsu Software Corporation merged with Fujitsu Computer Systems Corporation.

In October 2007 Fujitsu Launches its new $10 Million Facility In Noida.

In October 2007 Fujitsu's Australia & New Zealand subsidiary buys Infinity Solutions Ltd, a New Zealand IT hardware, services and consultancy company.

Fujitsu intends to invest an additional $10 million in India towards infrastructure and resources within the next 18 months.

By 2009, Fujitsu Consulting India expects more than 100 per cent growth in its employee base in India.

History specific to Fujitsu Consulting, the US-based subsidiary of Fujitsu Limited

In 1973 Company incorporation. Office opened in Montreal, Que., Canada as DMR.

From 1974 To 1984 Expansion across Canada over a decade: Ottawa, Quebec City, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Saint John, Halifax, Fredericton, Vancouver, Victoria.

In 1976 Company completed first major assignment, project management of the results systems for the Montreal Olympic Games.

From 1981 To 1991 International expansions over a decade: United States, Australia, Europe

In 1985 TRECOM Business Systems Inc.-to be acquired by Amdahl Corporation in 1996 and folded into DMR in 1997-created by Frank Casagrande, S. Russell Powell and Emanuel Arturi.

In 1988 DMR Productivity Plus, a systems development method, launched as a commercial product.

In 1994 Commercial versions of DMR Macroscope products formally launched.

In 1995 DMR Consulting was acquired by Amdahl Corporation (now Fujitsu IT Holdings, Inc.), then an international solutions-oriented supplier of high-quality information processing systems, software and services.

In 1996 Amdahl purchased TRECOM Business Systems Inc., an IT services firm-located mainly in the greater New Jersey and New York City areas-that focused primarily on telecommunications. As a result, DMR Consulting Group Inc.-made up of DMR and TRECOM Business Systems, Inc.-was formed at the dawn of 1997.

In 1997 TRECOM Business Systems Inc. becomes part of the U.S. Division of DMR.

In 1997 Fujitsu Limited acquires Amdahl Corporation and thus DMR.

In 2002 DMR Consulting officially became Fujitsu Consulting Inc. on April 1.

In 2003 Fujitsu Consulting acquires MULTIPRO Services Conseil.

In 2004 Fujitsu Consulting becomes a North American operation on April 1.

In 2004 Fujitsu Consulting acquires Cendera.

In June 2005 Fujitsu Consulting acquires BORN Information Services.

In February 2006 Fujitsu Consulting acquires GIM Risk Management.

In February 2006 Fujitsu Consulting acquires Greenbrier & Russel.

In March 31 2006 Fujitsu Consulting acquired North American based company Rapidigm. In India it has offshore divisions at Noida, Pune, Hyderabad and Bangalore with Pune being the head office. It is known as Fujitsu Consulting India Limited

In September 2007 Fujitsu Consulting acquires OKERE, Inc., a New York City-based consulting and IT services company.

Product lines

Computing Products Division[1]

Lifebook notebook computers.
Mobile Phones.
Tablet personal computers, pen based computers. With rotating screen and plastic pen.
Scanners - for various purposes of copying print in to digital files.
Ethernet switches
KVM switches
Servers SPARC Enterprise, PRIMEPOWER, PRIMEQUEST, PRIMERGY high end UNIX, Linux Windows products.
ETERNUS storage for enterprise environments.
Hard drives for notebook computers, work stations and enterprise servers.
Mag EraSURE degaussers for disposal of magnetic computing media.
Point-Of-Sale Applications

Note: For European, African and Middle Eastern markets, these products are manufactured and marketed by Fujitsu-Siemens Computers (50% joint venture).

In popular culture

In the movie Back to the Future Part II the writers thought by 2015 most companies would be owned by Japan. In 2015, Marty's employer is Fujitsu, and he is fired by company owner Ito Fujitsu. When the film was shown in Japan, audiences did not understand the joke, since Fujitsu is not a person's name, it is only a company name similar to the American company General Motors so this was similar to Marty being fired by "Mr. General Motors".[2]

In the movie Scary Movie 4 there is a dialog between Cindy and the ghost boy. The parody has them talking in Japanese, but in reality they are just using Japanese brand names, and other popular Japanese terms. The dialog ends with Cindy yelling "Fujitsu" while telling the ghost boy to "wait".[3]

Australian Spokesman

The key media figurehead for Fujitsu General in Australia is Mark Taylor, a now-retired former captain for the Australian Test Cricketing Side. Because of this he is a well-known icon of the country. In his first advertisement, Mark is seen walking across a cricket pitch when he is stopped by a groundsman who asks him "How's your Fujitsu?", to which Mark replies, "Pretty Cool!" as a catchy phrase to go with the company. He has done several other advertisements for Fujitsu and has advertised such deals as Fujitsu Free Money and such air conditioning units as the Fujitsu Inverter System. Mark Taylor has been advertising Fujitsu General's products for a few years now and has become the Australian icon of the Company.[4]

References

^ List of major computer products
^ Commentary about the making of the film included on the 3 DVD set Back to the Future I, II, III
^ Article about Scary Movie 4
^ Case Study: Promotion through personality and partnerships, 2005, Access date: 24 September 2007. Australian V8 Supercar drivers Jason Bright and Alan Gurr have also done some marketing/promotional work for Fujitsu and with Taylor due to his Fujitsu sponsored supercars