Turning Japanese

The latest acquisition, more diplomatically referred to as a ‘JV’, saw Hitachi Systems acquiring 51% of Sunway E-Systems’ shares (Sunway E-Systems is consolidated from Sunway Business Applications).

The proposed JV company name will be ‘Hitachi Sunway Information Systems’ and the new entity is scheduled to be operational as of the 1st April 2013.

And not too long before this, there was talk that CSC’s Enterprise Systems Integration (ESI) unit – which is a reseller of enterprise hardware/ software/ maintenance services with operations in Malaysia and Singapore, will be sold for some $90 million cash to Tokyo Stock Exchange-listed ITOCHU Corporation.

The transaction is expected to conclude by the end of March 2013.

And the third, but still warm in the surprising-news category, was the acquistion of the ACE-listed, 100% homegrown banking solution provider eBworx Berhad by Hitachi Ltd for the reported amount of RM184.2million.

This Hitachi-eBworx deal was made known to the media in Q3 2012, citing  the new entity’s name as Hitachi eBworx and with operations running as usual, but with the rumoured addition of a newly minted ex-owner.

While the business foreword for each and every deal is glowingly optimistic…

*On the Hitachi-Sunway deal:

Sunway Group founder and executive chariman Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah, said the collaboration would capitalize on Hitachi System’s track record and capabilities, as well as Sunway’s network in South-East Asia.

Hitachi Systems Ltd’s president and CEO Naoya Takahashi, said the JV will provide customers in ASEAN ‘with sophisticated IT platforms and solutions via the fusing with Sunway’s expertise and experience in PLM, ERP, virtualization and IT outsourcing services.

*On the ITOCHU-CSC ESI deal:

CSC President and CEO Mike Lawrie, said the sale of ESI marks (CSC)’s continued realignment of company assets with its strategy of leading the next generation of technology solutions and services including cybersecurity, big data and cloud computing; with attention on high-value solutions for clients in Singapore, Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia

*On the Hitachi-eBworx deal:

eBworx found and CEO said, the new entity would augment the strength and brand of the company in the region via the global talent, technology and presence of the Hitachi Group.

Hitachi Ltd’s COO of Systems Solution Business Ryuichi Otsuki said the acquistion would strenghten the company’s innovation development of the financial industry in Asia.


…the thoughts running in the industry’s undercurrent is the sudden, ‘aggressive’ emergence of ‘takeovers’ involving giant Japanese brands and the local IT sector.


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IT BYTES BACK! says: Since it failed to conquer the world in the 1940s’, and is increasingly losing its ground in the high-tech development front to China and Korea, perhaps Japan is trying an invasion of another kind by stealthy buying-in control of IT businesses?