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Marubeni and OKI Form Strategic Partnership to Strengthen Network Integration Services

Wednesday 27. April 2011 - - Establishment of Marubeni OKI Network Solutions -

Marubeni Corporation (“Marubeni”) and OKI Electric Industry (“OKI”) today announced an agreement to jointly develop network integration business, effective June 1, 2011. Combining Marubeni Group?s sales and planning capabilities and OKI Group?s technologies and achievements in the area of network integration, the companies will join forces to enforce their network integration businesses.
Marubeni will subscribe for OKI Group?s total network integration company, Oki Network Integration Co., Ltd. (“OKINET”)?s allocation of new shares to a third party and promote network integration business. The company name will be changed to “Marubeni OKI Network Solutions” afterward. Kunitsugu Miura from Marubeni will be appointed President and Chief Executive Officer.
“We had been seeking for a partner with technologies and track records which will enable establishment of networks with high security and robustness,” said Hikaru Minami, Executive Officer, responsible for Finance, Logistics and IT business at Marubeni. “As part of our strategy for communication business, especially in “Cloud era”, we felt it essential to expand into network integration business that undertakes high-level operations and maintenance services as a whole, by building networks combining multiple of optimum carrier services in response to our corporate customer requirements.”
Marubeni has been providing data communication services and datacenter services in the ICT market through its group operating companies. The company will further demonstrate and provide high-quality network construction services by capitalizing on Marubeni Group?s strength in high-quality and competitive data communication services.
“We are excited about the partnership with Marubeni because OKI has been looking for a sales partner aiming to enhance network integration services by taking advantage of our 250 service sites throughout Japan,” said Masasuke Kishi, Senior Vice President of OKI, responsible for OKI Group?s technologies. “Enhancing service business is one of OKI?s management policies, as announced October 2010 in our Mid-term business plan up to fiscal year ending March 31, 2014. The partnership represents a strategic fit in OKI?s business plans as it will enable us to access a wider data communication service providers and markets where we could not reach so far.”
OKI has extensive achievements and high technological strengths for building a number of networks that require high reliability and security, including financial institutions based on its fine services, reliable and stable network construction capabilities.
Going forward, the new company, Marubeni OKI Network Solutions, will provide network integration services by expanding Marubeni and OKI?s current businesses and markets. Building on their strengths, the company plans to enhance “cloud? business proactively by providing optimized network services to not only financial, governmental institutions and corporations but also to new customers. It targets sales of 10 billion yen for the first fiscal year and 20 billion yen in fiscal year 2015.
Starting with this partnership in networking, Marubeni and OKI will consider overseas deployment including and focusing on Asia where growth is significant in other business domains as well.
[Overview of the new company]
Company name: Marubeni OKI Network Solutions Inc.,
Address: 1-16-8 Chuo, Warabi-shi, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
Capital: 255 million yen (approx. 66% owned by Marubeni and by OKI 34%)
Business: Network integration services
President and CEO: Kunitsugu Miura
Employees: approx. 200 (as of June 1, 2011)