Hitachi Cable, Ltd. has announced the conclusion of a distribution agreement with FUJITSU NETWORK SOLUTIONS LTD. (hereinafter referred to as ''FNETS'') for domestic marketing of Apresia(R) (*1), an in-house Ethernet (*2) switch. Based on this partnership, Hitachi Cable intends to further reinforce its domestic sales network for the Apresia(R) product line.


The Apresia(R) product line consists primarily of the Apresia(R) 6000/8000 series (intended for telecommunications carriers) and the Apresia(R) 2000/3000 series (intended for enterprises). The Apresia(R) 6000/8000 series is deployed by a number of telecommunications carriers, chiefly as an edge switch for wide area Ethernet networks. The Apresia(R) 2000/3000 series consists of authentication switches (*3) designed to control illegal access or use of unauthorized terminals and to build PC-quarantining LAN systems that protect networks against infection by viruses. Products in this series are also used as switches by wide area Ethernet service clients using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) or as edge switches for LANs.


In the past, Hitachi Cable has sold the Apresia(R) products directly to its domestic clients. But seeking increased sales, it has increasingly sought to work with partners in marketing the Apresia(R) series.

A growing demand for reliable domestic network equipment has emerged in the telecommunications carrier market. To meet this demand, Hitachi Cable has been active in the production, sale, and maintenance of the Apresia6000/8000 series for telecommunications carriers. However, achieving even higher customer satisfaction will require higher performance from interconnected networks that consist of switches from different vendors; a stronger quality guarantee system (for example, testing products before delivery); and enhanced maintenance and after-sales service. For these reasons, Hitachi Cable sought to establish a business alliance with a partner offering considerable expertise in high-end products as well as a viable customer support system.

Hitachi Cable has concluded a distribution agreement with FNETS, a reputable network solution provider and a partner to whom it will transfer responsibilities for the Apresia(R) product line in whole, including verification, marketing, and maintenance. FNETS is expected to provide high value-added solutions based on superior authentication and QoS (*4) functions, mainly focusing on the Apresia(R) 6000/8000 series, while partnering to tackle joint marketing efforts for products with functions best suited to the domestic market. Hitachi Cable, for its part, intends to reinforce its domestic sales network for the Apresia(R) product line and further increase its market share through the expansion of sales among existing FNETS customers.

Based on this partnership, Hitachi Cable plans to bolster efforts to establish a domestic Apresia(R) sales network to increase its share of the markets represented by domestic telecommunications carriers and enterprises.

For this fiscal year, Hitachi Cable has set a target of 8 billion yen for Apresia(R) sales. This figure includes anticipated revenue from marketing conducted with FNETS and other, future partners.

*1:	Apresia(R) is a registered trademark of Hitachi Cable, Ltd. in Japan.
*2:	Ethernet is a registered trademark of Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
*3:	An authentication switch is a Layer 2 switch equipped with a built-in user authentication function that controls access to the network at client terminals. A user authentication function is provided in the Apresia(R) 2000 series.
*4:	QoS (Quality of Service) is technology that reserves a section of bandwidth for specific communications services within a network, guaranteeing a minimum throughput.

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