Nikon Corporation (Michio Kariya, President) announces that Nikon Systems Inc. (Masao Hagimoto, President), a subsidiary of Nikon Corporation, and Fujitsu Broad Solution & Consulting Inc. (Takao Kaneko, President; hereafter, Fujitsu BSC) establish a new joint company, named “Nikon Imaging Systems Inc.”. The company will be solely responsible for the firmware development in Nikon digital cameras. Nikon Imaging Systems Inc. will initiate operations in August 2009.
Firmware is the software built into devices that provides fundamental control over hardware. As the performance of digital devices becomes higher, so does the importance of firmware. To date, all firmware installed in Nikon digital cameras has been developed by Nikon Corporation and its subsidiary, Nikon Systems Inc.
The new company is dedicated exclusively to the firmware development for Nikon digital cameras. The objective of the company will be to proceed with the establishment of firmware platforms and to accelerate the speed and quality of firmware development by merging the long experienced mechatronics control and image processing technologies established in Nikon Corporation and Nikon Systems Inc. with the software technology, know-how, and resources provided by Fujitsu BSC.
Outline of the New Company
| Name of the company | Nikon Imaging Systems Inc. |
|---|---|
| Date of establishment | Scheduled for July 1, 2009 |
| Start of operations | Scheduled for August 1, 2009 |
| Location of head office | 6-3, Nishi-Ohi 1-chome, Shinagawa-Ku, Tokyo |
| President | Toshiyuki Tsukiji |
| Capital | ¥95,000,000 |
| Ratio of investment | 70% from Nikon Systems Inc. 30% from Fujitsu BSC |
| Board structure | 4 officers from Nikon Corporation/Nikon Systems Inc. 1 officer from Fujitsu BSC |
| Number of employees | Approximately 100 |
| Main business | Development of firmware for Nikon digital cameras and interchangeable lenses |
Outline of Fujitsu BSC
| Location of head office | 2-3-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo |
|---|---|
| President | Takao Kaneko |
| Consolidated sales | ¥33,822,000,000 (as of fiscal year ending March 31, 2009) |
| Number of employees | 1,877 (as of March 31, 2009) |
| Business fields | Software development and sales of software services and solutions |
Source: Nikon