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The University of Tokyo's Information Technology Center Begins Operating the ECCS2012 Educational Campuswide Computing System- NEC builds cutting-edge environment for education and academic research -

*** For immediate use May 10, 2012


Tokyo, May 10, 2012 - The Information Technology Center of the University of Tokyo (Director: Yutaka Ishikawa; ITC) and NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) recently announced that the ITC began operating its Educational Campuswide Computing System (ECCS2012) in March 2012. NEC manages the integration and operational support of this system.

The ITC's ECCS2012 consists of networks and computers, including servers and terminals that are used for education and academic research by the students and teaching staff of the University of Tokyo. Terminals are located in libraries and classrooms throughout the Hongo, Komaba and Kashiwa Campuses.

In updating to the ECCS2012, the ITC aimed to enhance educational and research services and to reduce the operational costs of the system, conserve power and improve the continuity of services in a disaster. NEC built a cutting-edge environment for education and academic research based on these goals.

Key features of the ECCS2012 are as follows:

  1. Integrated authentication for approximately 40,000 users
    The use of NEC's integrated authentication software, WebSAM SECUREMASTER/EDS, EIM and EAM, permits a single sign-on to web applications, which used to be signed onto individually. This allows users to use the ECCS2012 and its services by simply logging onto a terminal. In addition, workflow can now be used for account management, which reduces the burden on the system administrator.

  2. Establishment of an environment prepared for disasters with high-speed data replication
    In terms of business continuity and disaster recovery, storage from EMC Corporation (*1) is installed on both the Komaba Campus and the Hongo Campus. It permits replications between the two campuses, thereby enabling high-speed data backup. This allows the continuous use of data without restoration from backup in the case of an emergency such as a natural disaster. In addition, the storage from EMC Corporation permits automatic data re-allocation among storage tiers. This function makes effective use of multiple drives with different speeds in accordance with the frequency of access to each piece of data, thereby optimizing the cost and power consumption.

  3. Improved printing convenience including net print services
    By using the net print service of Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd., users can print out files both on campus and off campus (at any Seven-Eleven convenience store in Japan). Print jobs can be submitted from inside and outside of the ECCS2012. In addition, in the ECCS2012 environment, users can preview and print out Microsoft Office files stored on USB memory sticks and the fees can be paid using electronic money issued by public transportation companies, which improves user convenience.

  4. More than 1,300 iMac terminals
    The iMac terminals can dual boot (*2) the Mac OS and the Windows OS. This allows users to use different OSs on a single terminal, rather than using different types of terminals. It has also allowed a reduction in the number of terminals. In addition, a combination of Kaseya (*3) and Total Manager for Mac permits the centralized control of updates of the two different OSs and the delivery and monitoring of system images, etc., enabling the flexible control of terminals as appropriate for the content to be updated. Moreover, the number of servers for controlling the terminals has been reduced by approximately two-thirds.

  5. Establishment of an environment for remote connections from off campus
    The ECCS2012 provides an environment for remote connections, which allows students and part-time lecturers to access the desktop environment of the terminals connected to the ECCS2012 at home, i.e., from outside the campus. Up to 30 users can have simultaneous, secure access when using their own equipment.

"It is our greatest pleasure to see the launch of operations for the ECCS2012 that NEC built for the University of Tokyo.  This system will be used by faculty members and students for their most advanced educational and academic research activities, and EMC Japan plays an important role in securing a solid IT platform by providing a range of solutions, including robust and highly reliable storage systems and remote replication software for disaster recovery.  Working hand in hand with NEC, EMC Japan will fulfill our commitment to supporting this critically important IT platform for the University of Tokyo," said Makoto Itoga, Director, Marketing Division, EMC Japan.

"We are honored to provide a print environment where the University of Tokyo faculty and students can seamlessly utilize multifunction devices on campus and multi-use copiers at Seven-Eleven stores. Fuji Xerox is committed to contributing to the creation of a pleasant study environment with our convenient services that allow printing anywhere, anytime," said Isamu Sekine, corporate vice president and deputy executive general manager of Sales & Marketing, Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.

The ITC improved user convenience of the ECCS2012 by expanding opportunities to access the ECCS2012 services. Now, the ITC aims to reduce both power consumption and cost of system operations of the ECCS2012 by integrating and reducing server equipment and introducing new storage.

NEC provided wide-ranging support for the educational and research environment of the University of Tokyo by delivering systems for its library and research institutes. Going forward, NEC will make use of its experience in building this large-scale system to continue to enhance educational and research environments using ICT.


***

Notes

*1) EMC Corporation (EMC Japan K.K.)
http://japan.emc.com/

*2) Dual Boot:
A dual boot system allows the installation of two operating systems on the same hard drive, allowing either system to be booted. Users select which operating system to use when starting up the computer.

About the Information Technology Center of the University of Tokyo
The Information Technology Center (ITC), The University of Tokyo, composed of the Campuswide Computing and Communications Division, the Digital Library Division, the Network Division and the Supercomputing Division, conducts educational and research activities and provides related services. Since the inception of the Joint Usage/Research Center for Interdisciplinary Large-Scale Information Infrastructures * in April 2010, ITC has been its Core Center. ITC also makes an effort to contribute to the advancement of computer science and information technology, and development of young researchers.
* The Joint Usage/Research Center that is a network of eight supercomputer centers at Hokkaido University, Tohoku University, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nagoya University, Kyoto University, Osaka University and Kyushu University, with the Information Technology Center, The University of Tokyo as its Core Center.

About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. By providing a combination of products and solutions that cross utilize the company's experience and global resources, NEC's advanced technologies meet the complex and ever-changing needs of its customers. NEC brings more than 100 years of expertise in technological innovation to empower people, businesses and society.  For more information, visit NEC at
http://www.nec.com.


NEC is a registered trademark of NEC Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Other product or service marks mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners. (C)2012 NEC Corporation.

ITC Press Contact (Japan)

NEC Press Contacts (Japan)

Takehiko Kato
NEC Corporation
+81-3-3798-6511
E-Mail:t-kato@cj.jp.nec.com

Joseph Jasper
NEC Corporation
+81-3-3798-6511
E-Mail:j-jasper@ax.jp.nec.com

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