Throughout the entire Hitachi Group, including companies in business reorganizations and companies integrated as a result of M&As, we are working to ensure security, compliance, and business continuity for internal IT.
To respond to the risk of information leaks and increasing cyberattacks, as well as to ensure proper use of software, we are continuing our efforts to strengthen our IT controls.
In preparation for the investment in priority business fields and reorganization of businesses under the Hitachi Group's 2024 Medium-Term Management Plan, we are enhancing the capability to support the integration and partitioning of IT, which will be key points for successful M&A, and are engaged in initiatives to lower risks and increase efficiency via IT-PMI globally.
The Hitachi Group's IT departments are promoting IT-PMI, which includes activities for integrating and partitioning IT, along with business reorganization. In recent years, the Group has completed large-scale and global mergers such as with GlobalLogic, and completed the separation of Hitachi Transport Systems, Ltd., Hitachi Metals, Ltd., and Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. from Hitachi, Ltd. For M&As in the future, smooth and efficient IT integration and partitioning will be required. To allow the Hitachi Group to lower risks and improve efficiency alongside IT-PMI, we have adopted IT-PMI guidelines that systematize the processes to be performed in a standard manner.
New companies that are joining the Hitachi Group are required to comply with the Hitachi Group's IT rules and establish an IT management system as soon as possible after the acquisition is completed. For the acquired companies, during FY 2022 we prepared materials covering basic Hitachi Group IT information that is necessary to formulate and implement the IT management structure, its establishment process, and IT-PMI planning. These are expected to accelerate IT-PMI by improving the understanding of Hitachi Group IT management.
To achieve the business income and expenditure plans of M&As, it is important to minimize divergence between the planned and actual IT-PMI costs and IT operating costs. In order to share this common understanding among all personnel related to M&As, we are making various efforts that include holding briefings on IT-PMI for companies in Japan and outside Japan. In addition, IT-PMI experts strategically participate in actual projects to further consolidate their skills and knowledge. We are improving our project-support capabilities by enhancing resources.
