Fujitsu launches “Fujitsu Computing as a Service (CaaS)” in Japan, new global co-creation partner program

TOKYO, Oct 25, 2022 – (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) – Fujitsu today announced that it started to offer “Fujitsu Computing as a Service” (hereinafter CaaS), its service portfolio to deliver customers access to world-leading computing technologies via the public cloud to the Japanese market, with global roll out to follow in fiscal 2023.

Figure 1: Overview over the CaaS service lineup
Figure 2: 12 startups currently participating in the program

Fujitsu simultaneously launched the “Fujitsu Accelerator Program for CaaS,” a new global partner program that aims to provide prompt solutions to societal issues including labor shortage in the logistics business, countermeasures to infectious diseases and the development of new highly functional materials by co-creating use cases on the CaaS platform with innovative companies such as startups.

Fujitsu’s new cloud services include “Fujitsu Computing as a Service HPC” (hereinafter CaaS HPC) as well as “Fujitsu Computing as a Service Digital Annealer” (hereinafter CaaS Digital Annealer) for developing and running simulations, AI technologies and combinatorial optimization applications.

The launch also includes “Fujitsu Computing as a Service Technical Consulting Services” (hereinafter CaaS Technical Consulting Services) that support the selection of the optimum environment according to the characteristics of customers’ applications and their acceleration.
Fujitsu is providing these services as part of its vision for “Hybrid IT” to realize a new digital infrastructure for a connected society, a Key Focus Area under Fujitsu Uvance, Fujitsu’s portfolio of global solutions to achieve a sustainable world.

Moving forward, Fujitsu will collaborate with external cloud providers to strengthen its environment and enhance its services by expanding the applications offered under CaaS, aiming for an expansion of the service to the global market in fiscal 2023.

Outline “Fujitsu Computing as a Service” (“CaaS”) and “Fujitsu Accelerator Program for CaaS”

1. Outline of CaaS
Fujitsu offers CaaS as a cloud service portfolio that enables Fujitsu and its customers to jointly develop and implement applications and services using cutting-edge computing and software technologies. The CaaS portfolio includes high-performance computing (HPC) technologies and Fujitsu’s Quantum-Inspired Digital Annealer (1) as cloud services as well as technical consulting services.

(1) “CaaS HPC”
Via CaaS HPC, users will have access to: the computing power of the “Fujitsu Supercomputer PRIMEHPC FX1000,” (hereinafter PRIMEHPC FX1000) which shares the same CPU at the heart of the supercomputer Fugaku (2); a PC cluster with a high-performance Intel CPU (3); and a PC cluster with a high-performance Intel CPU and NVIDIA GPU (4) to develop and run simulations and AI applications.

(2) “CaaS Digital Annealer”
Via CaaS Digital Annealer, users will be able to use Fujitsu’s Quantum-Inspired Digital Annealer that solves complex combinatorial optimization problems at speeds not possible with current conventional computing technologies.

CaaS Digital Annealer will offer quick and accurate solutions to combinatorial optimization problems from a wide area including distribution and production planning, drug development, and the search of new materials.

(3) “CaaS Technical Consulting Services”
Fujitsu will support customers in choosing the best solution for the development and implementation of applications by offering them the computing power of the PRIMEHPC FX1000, PC clusters, or Fujitsu’s Digital Annealer.

In order to further enhance the safety of Fujitsu CaaS services, Fujitsu further aims to provide “Fujitsu Computing as a Service Data e-TRUST” (5) that provides a high level of security for exchange and utilization of data between companies and individual users by the end of fiscal 2022.

Masafumi Ito, Group General Manager, Corporate and Manufacturing IT Group of TOYOTA SYSTEMS CORPORATION (6), comments:
“Toyota Systems Corporation has started practical application of Fujitsu’s Digital Annealer – one of the core services of CaaS – to the optimization of vehicle production sequences at Toyota Motor Corporation’s production plants. CaaS embodies Fujitsu’s vision of a sustainable future. Our expectations are high that CaaS will be used in a wide range of industries and areas in the future, which will lead to further technological development and expansion of services.”

Eric Capodanno, CTO of Phytocontrol Group (7), comments:
“For the past two years, Phytocontrol and Fujitsu have been building flexible, easy-to-use, and accurate AI solutions that revolutionize contaminant analysis in the agro-food business, accelerate processes, and eliminate human errors. Applying CaaS to our chromatography (8) -related work will require continuous learning to improve the accuracy of various AI models and further cutting edge computational resources. CaaS provides a strong, secure and flexible environment that we believe will accelerate our broad range of operations.”

2. Overview of the new “Fujitsu Accelerator Program for CaaS”

On October 25, Fujitsu further launched the Fujitsu Accelerator Program for CaaS with the aim of finding prompt solutions to societal issues by promoting co-creation of new use cases on the CaaS platform with innovative startups both in Japan and overseas who share the same values that Fujitsu Uvance stands for. By promoting co-creation with various partners, Fujitsu aims to further enhance the value of solutions offered under Fujitsu Uvance.

As a “Fujitsu Accelerator Program for CaaS Co-Creation Partner,” participating startups will receive various benefits including free access to CaaS services, dedicated engineer support and training, and use case creation through joint development.

In collaboration with startups in Japan and overseas, Fujitsu aims to co-create CaaS use cases in various fields including Web 3.0, healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics. In order to further strengthen and accelerate the establishment of the startup ecosystem through CaaS, Fujitsu will collaborate with startup support organizations worldwide that are acting as a hub connecting startups and companies.

Comments from the following 12 startups that are currently participating in this program and 1 startup support organization are provided in the attachment.

– Startups
Anifie, Inc., GRID INC., HIKKY Co., Ltd., Infinite Foundry, Lda, Inc., Kashika, Inc., KOGASOFTWARE Inc., Kyoto Fusioneering Ltd., Japan Research Activity Support, Inc., Pocket RD Inc., Qubit Pharmaceuticals, SAS, Waylay NV

– Startup support organization
Unknown Group BV

(1) Digital Annealer:
Information processing technology based on domain oriented computer architecture (a basic design of a computer consisting of memory and arithmetic circuits) that specializes in solving combinatorial optimization problems that are difficult to solve with current general-purpose computers.
(2) Supercomputer Fugaku:
A computer installed at RIKEN as a successor to the K computer. From June 2020 to November 2021, it ranked first in 4 categories in the supercomputer rankings for 4 consecutive terms. Full operation started on March 9, 2021.
(3) Intel K.K.:
President: Kunimasa Suzuki; Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
(4) NVIDIA GK:
Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Japan Country Manager, VP Worldwide Field Operations: Masataka Osaki.
(5) CaaS Data e-TRUST:
Data e-TRUST adds Fujitsu’s IDentitY eXchange (IDYX) and Chain Data Lineage (CDL) technologies for secure data exchange and utilization trust functions to Fujitsu CaaS.
Data e-TRUST provides advanced data security and ensures the authenticity and security of data exchange between different systems and services.
(6) Toyota Systems Corporation:
President: Hiroaki Kitazawa; Headquarters: Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Japan.
(7) Phytocontrol Group:
Founder and CEO: Mikael Bresson; Headquarters: Nimes, Frances.
(8) Chromatography:
A general term for the separation and analysis of the components of compounds in substances. Since the elution time is different for each component, each component is separated and detected.

About Fujitsu

Fujitsu’s purpose is to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation. As the digital transformation partner of choice for customers in over 100 countries, our 124,000 employees work to resolve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Our range of services and solutions draw on five key technologies: Computing, Networks, AI, Data & Security, and Converging Technologies, which we bring together to deliver sustainability transformation. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.6 trillion yen (US$32 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022 and remains the top digital services company in Japan by market share. Find out more: www.fujitsu.com.

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