<<<< Japan High-Tech Update>>>>
A monthly review of the cutting edge of Japanese high-tech
Volume II, Issue I

Triangle Technologies is a technology-oriented investment bank which creates strategic alliances between Japanese and Israeli companies.


To subscribe or unsubscribe, please press here.

Triangle Technologies’ ---- Japan High-Tech Update is a monthly review of the cutting edge of Japanese high-tech This document may be redistributed provided that the 3 lines containing this notice accompany it.
For more information, please contact a_lewkowicz@triangletech.com-- +972-3-575-8636.

INTERNET & E-COMMERCE-----ISRAEL-JAPAN EXHIBITION
JUNE 20-21, 2000 TOKYO, JAPAN
 
Nikkei Business Publications is organizing and Dr. Daniel Isenberg is chairing, the Internet & E-Commerce -- Israel-Japan Exhibition that will take place June 20-21, 2000 in Tokyo, Japan. Internet in Japan is booming and Japanese companies are extremely interested in Internet and especially wireless technology

 
 
Some information about the Internet in Japan
• Internet users- currently 17 million and 35 million users expected by 2003
• Wireless handset users - 55 million with a 27% growth rate
• Internet phones - almost 5 million subscribers
• B2B e-commerce - 2004 - $670 billion
• B2C e-commerce - 2005 - $60 billion
 
This event is a terrific opportunity for Israeli companies to present themselves in front of thousands of Japanese decision-makers. The following is a list of some of the speakers:


  • DR. DANIEL ISENBERG -
      Conference chairman, CEO Triangle Technologies; Partner, JerusalemVenture Partners; former professor, Harvard Business School

  • KOICHI SUZUKI -
      CEO and founder, IIJ -Internet Initiative Japan (NASDAQ: IIJI), and Crosswave Communications, a broadband service provider established by IIJ, Sony, and Toyota

  • DR. FRANK SANDA -
      CEO and founder, Japan Communications Inc., a leading mobile communications services company; former CEO Apple Japan; former EVP Motorola

  • DR. NAHUM SHARFMAN -
      CEO and co-founder, DealTime.com; formerly co-founder and CEO of Commtouch (NASDAQ: CTCH); formerly head of R&D National Semiconductor, Israel

  • JOICHI ITO -
    Chairman, Infoseek Japan, CEO, Neoteny (an Internet incubator)


    There will also be seminars on the following topics:
  • Wireless Internet
  • Keynotes - Opportunities in Japan, Opportunities from Israel
  • Investing in the Internet
    For more information, please contact Amir Lewkowicz at +972-3-575-8636 or email at a_lewkowicz@triangletech.com.
     


    Table of Contents:
     
    Exchange Rate as of 7/3/00
    $1 US = 107.51 Yen
    1 NIS= 26.89 Yen
      Economics & Government

    •
    MPT Looking to invest $46 million
    Japan's Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) has invited the public to participate in a contest for the best idea on how to use $46 million to develop and support companies in the advanced telecommunications systems
     
       
      General Technology News

    •
    SOFTBANK Establishes $1.38 billion fund
    Softbank Finance plans to establish a $1.38 billion VC fund which will invest in Japanese Internet start-ups.
     
    • One Million Japan homes will have ADSL in 2005
    According to a survey conducted by Seed Planning, almost 1 million Japanese households will access the Internet by using ADSL by 2005
    • Almost 11 million PCS sold in Japan in 1999

    The number of PCs sold to the domestic market in 1999 totaled 10.83 million units, up 36% from 1998. One explanation of the dramatic increase is due to the popularity of the Internet. The following are the top 5 vendors for domestic PC sales:

    Company
    Volume (in 000s)
    Share
    NEC
    Fujitsu
    IBM Japan
    Toshiba
    Sony     		2,405
    2,245
    1,089
    777
    736     		22.2%
    20.70%
    10.10%
    7.20
    6.80
     
    • Sony releases PlayStation 2
    Sony recently released its PlayStation2 in Japan. The new game consul offers high quality visuals, can play DVDs and can also be linked to the Internet. One million units are expected to be sold within the first week of release.
     
    • Women account for almost 50% of new Internet users
    According to a recent survey conducted by Nikkei NetBusiness magazine, the number of women Internet users is increasing. The survey showed that women accounted for 48.4% of new Internet users and also 25% of total users in 1999.
     
    • Fujitsu develops high-speed processor for video transmission
    Fujitsu developed a processor that can transmit high-quality video images over communications networks. It can currently transmit 1 gigabit per second and is expected to transmit to 4.8 gigabit per second soon.
     
    •
    		 OKI Electric and Fujitsu establish Mobile Telecom joint venture
    Oki Electric and Fujitsu have set up a joint venture called Mobile Techno Corp. which specializes in developing next-generation mobile telecom systems. The new company will develop H/W and S/W for systems compatible with the International Mobile Telecommuncations-2000 (IMT-2000), the next generation digital mobile phone system scheduled for introduction in Japan in early 2001.
       
       
      NEW TECHNOLOGIES

    •
    Toshiba introduces first single chip MPEG-4
    Toshiba developed the world's first single-chip MPEG-4 videophone system level IC for IMT-2000. Toshiba's system level IC integrates an MPEG-4 video encoder and decoder, a speech codec, an audio and video multiplexer and a 16-megabit (Mb) DRAM.
       
       
      LIFE SCIENCES

    •
    Hitachi gene analysis detects spread of lung cancer
    Hitachi and Hitachi Chemical have developed a method of detecting the early spread of lung cancer cells by analyzing genes in the blood. The new method can distinguish the specific genes associated with lung cancer from other genes in the blood.