The Challenge
Toshiba, a global manufacturer of complex electronics, is a Fortune 500 company that continually strives for growth and innovation. To achieve this growth in this difficult economy, Toshiba urgently needed to update their basic enterprise infrastructure. Working closely with KDDI, Toshiba chose a range of our Global ICT Solutions to help them plot a reformation of their global network and construct an information base to support their global strategy.
The Results
Part 1: Create a Renovated Global Network to improve profitability and efficiency
One of the largest electronics manufacturers in Japan, Toshiba needed to implement an “Offensive Management” Plan to maintain its position as a leading global electronics producer and realize their “Continuous Profitable Growth” management policy’s goal. This policy reigns over digital products, electronic devices, and societal infrastructure enterprises. With the help of KDDI, Toshiba strengthened the global organization through a directional change towards growth and strategic resource sharing.
“We must not fail at strengthening our sales and competitive pricing in order to succeed with our global set-up. At first, there is a need to reform our network information base,” explains Toshiba IS Center IT Systems Strategic Division’s director, Kenji Yamamoto.
Up to this point, Toshiba’s entire network services have extended over numerous carriers in order to optimize their global network construction in each new area. As a result, Hidenori Saito, Counselor of Toshiba IS Center’s IT Systems Strategic Division reports, “In the case where there is no unity among the various carriers’ networks and policies, there are anxieties when dealing with control and practical usage.”
Our Solution:
Global Network Summary
1. Create a reliable network by using KDDI’s L2 and L3 service to provide perfect redundancy
2. Toshiba can use KDDI as a one stop shop to negotiate and manage all the carriers and receive support on even the most minute details.
3. Global Network Operation Center: Global Firewall with IDS Employing real time observation
Part 2: Strengthen Security and add redundancy and upgradeability
By reforming Toshiba’s global network, KDDI centralized their application management, including security, and created a manageable one stop shop for all of their services’ scalable, high reliability requirements.
“For a network that has a variety of production related information, one of the most important core foundations of our business is ensuring it never goes down. The guarantee of redundancy was necessary,” emphasized Toshiba IS Center IT Systems Strategic Division Counselor, Toshiyuki Tanaka.
From here Toshiba is planning to continue their expansion to China and other emerging Asian nations, which would not be possible without KDDI’s reliable network infrastructure. Using a single service provider like KDDI allows for a unified, manageable network to support a global business infrastructure like Toshiba’s. Finally, Toshiba have also prioritized their security and compliance procedures to manage the best practices of their employees and minimize outside threats.
“Security, including the protection against viruses and hackers is an indispensible option in China and emerging Asian countries. KDDI was the only carrier that could offer an all-in-one solution with a low cost that would include security counter measures on top of redundancy, upgradeability, and controllability.” – Toshiyuki Tanaka
Part 3. Ease of implementation and minimum disruption.
As of right now, Toshiba’s global network is constructed using KDDI Global Powered Ethernet and KDDI Global IP-VPN. With Japan as the center, a network spanning to North America, Europe, China and Asia has been implemented with every site boasting a SLA of 99.999%. In North America, Europe and China, Toshiba uses KDDI’s TELEHOUSE data centers to directly connect their network. The data centers were connected to the local area networks in each location, and it was also possible for KDDI to construct a separate local area network as part of their “one stop” offerings.
“Due to the perfect redundancy of the L2 and L3 services and the high level of credibility KDDI holds, it is possible for us to use this service without concerns over their reliability and performance. We were very pleased with the speed in which KDDI had our foreign (outside Japan) networks up and running, and the potential for future upgradeability,” assesses Toshiba Information Systems’ Katsuhiro Nigorikawa. Due to the current global network architecture, Toshiba anticipates ultimately adding up to 80 new site locations.
As for security, Toshiba is currently implementing a global firewall, with a real time IDS (Intruder Detection System), that will find any security threats early and eliminate them immediately.
In regards to the current construction of the global network, and the one stop shop service offered by KDDI, Hidenori Saito says, “For example, in China where it was very hard to negotiate with local carriers for our network, KDDI exhibited very adept negotiation and coordination abilities and we were able to proceed on schedule. KDDI helped us with even the most minute details.” Furthermore, Kenji Yamamoto says about future plans, “We would like to work with KDDI for our expansion into central Asia and Africa.” Their expectations for KDDI’s offerings as a one stop shop are increasing more and more.
Toshiba’s Profile
Company Name: Toshiba
Main office: Tokyo, Minato-ku, Shibaura 1-1-1
Established Date: July 1875
Capital Stock: 439.9 Billion Yen (As of 6/23/2009)
Number of Employees: 33,520 people (As of the end of March 2009)
About: Established in July 1875. A complex electronic maker that does business in PC and cell phone enterprises, solid-state electronic devices enterprises, nuclear, steam, and hydroelectric power systems for public infrastructure enterprises. Toshiba is expanding as a global business in those three fields, and also as a maker of home electronics.
URL: http://www.toshiba.co.jp/worldwide/index.html