July 22, 1998
Toppan Printing, Hitachi, and Asahi Shimbun
to establish joint venture:
Image Mall Japan, Inc.
Toppan Printing Co., Ltd., Hitachi, Ltd., and
Asahi Shimbun today announced that the three companies
have reached an agreement to establish a joint-venture
company, Image Mall Japan, Inc. Hitachi and
Toppan Printing have been collecting digitized data
content and operating an archiving and distribution system
as a trial project since August 1997. Market and
industry conditions have convinced the two companies that
the time is ripe to turn this into a business. Recognizing
the future prospects of this enterprise and its potential
to make a meaningful contribution to society,
Asahi Shimbun has also decided to participate.
The heart of the business will be a digital archive
of cultural and historical artifacts of universal value.
This will be operated jointly by the three corporations,
with full-fledged operations set to begin
on October 1, 1998.
Background
- It is estimated that by the year 2005 the multimedia
data content market in Japan will be worth 40 trillion yen.
With the advent of a true multimedia society, the need
for systems that can respond to the enormous demand
for data content will greatly increase.
- The preservation (archiving) of humanity's most
important works of art and historical artifacts,
and their use in education and in passing cultural
heritage on to future generations, are
significant undertakings.
- Since August 1997, Hitachi and Toppan Printing have been
collecting digitized data content and operating
Image Mall Japan as a trial project. This has included:
| 1. |
Verification of the "Consignment System" to
which owners and copyright holders consign licensing
of their cultural and historical digitized objects. |
| 2. |
Building a large-scale digital database. |
| 3. |
Delivering digital content over the Internet
(license sales). |
| 4. |
Constructing a networked art museum (cyber museum). |
| 5. |
Building an electronic museum system. |
- Through the above activities, we have been constructing
and expanding a digital 'deposit' system (collecting
digital data while protecting the rights of the 'depositors')
as well as establishing the marketability of the business.
Overview of the new company
1. Outline
| A. Name: |
Image Mall Japan, Inc. |
| B. Date of establishment: |
October 1, 1998 (scheduled) |
| C. Location: |
Kyodo Bldg.6F, 3-29, Kanda-Jimbo-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo |
| D. Chief Executive Officer: |
Masao Komori |
| E. Capitalization: |
400 million yen (planned) |
| F. Ownership: |
Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.: 51% |
| Hitachi, Ltd.: 44% |
| Asahi Shimbun: 5% |
| G. Number of employees: |
Approximately 20 (Initial) |
2. Lines of business
Digitizing, archiving and distributing a variety of
data content having cultural and historical value,
including art works, historical photographs and
documents from around the world, with the cooperation
of their owners and copyright holders, and providing
the following services.
| A. |
Construction of a digitized data content database
system and delivery of the digital data. |
| B. |
Publishing of original set/series of multimedia titles
and the creation of networked art museums and electronic
museums. |
3. Business plan
6,000 million yen annual revenue after five years.
4. Vision
As part of the infrastructure of the Multimedia Age,
the three companies intend to collect multimedia data
content of cultural and historical value and to construct
and manage one of the world's largest digital image
databases.
5. Roles of the parent companies
- Toppan Printing
Collecting and digitizing data content obtained through
contacts with information-related entities (newspapers;
publishers, advertising agencies; corporate PR,
advertising, and sales promotion departments), production,
manufacturing, marketing, etc.
- Hitachi
Support of technical system development (networks,
databases, security, high definition digital image
system, 3D graphics software, communication satellite
broadcasting).
- Asahi Shimbun
Support with editorial and production know-how, abundant
experience in multimedia business, and secondary use of
accumulated contents, from the aspect of a comprehensive
information-related enterprise.
About Toppan Printing:
Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. head office in Tokyo was
established 1900 by a number of technicians from the
printing Bureau of Japan's Ministry of finance and
commenced business using the galvanoglyph relief
printing method ,which at that time was the leading
technology in Japan. Since then, Toppan has maintained
its leading position in the industry ,meeting client needs
and expanding its business through the application of
advance an d progressive technologies. Its business
encompasses seven different major areas; securities
and cards, commercial printing, publications printing,
packaging, industrial materials, electronics components,
and multimedia. The net sales in fiscal 1997 ended
March 31, 1998, was 966.6 billion yen (7.3 billion dollars).
For more information on Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.,
please visit Toppan's Web site at http://www.toppan.co.jp/.
About Hitachi:
Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is one of
the world's leading global electronics companies,
with fiscal 1997 (ending March 31, 1998) consolidated sales
of 8,417 billion yen (63.8 billion dollars*).
The company manufactures and markets a wide range of
products, including computers, semiconductors, consumer
products and power and industrial equipment.
For more information on Hitachi, Ltd., please visit
Hitachi's Web site at http://www.hitachi.co.jp.
*At an exchange rate of 132 yen to the dollar
About Asahi Shimbun:
Asahi Shimbun, Ltd., head office in Tokyo, Osaka,
Kitakyushu and Nagoya, Japan, established in 1879.
Asahi Shimbun is one of the world's highest circulation
newspaper, with a circulation of 8.36 million copies
for its morning edition, and a further 4.33 million copies
for its evening edition, has annual sales of
417 billion yen (March, 1997). In addition to newspaper
publishing service, there are publication service,
Internet information service and Communication Satellite
Broadcasting.
For more information on Asahi Shimbun, Ltd., please visit
Asahi Shimbun's Web site at http://www.asahi.com.
WRITTEN BY Secretary's Office
All Rights Reserved,
Copyright (C)
1998, Hitachi, Ltd.
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