Tokyo, October 2, 2019 - The NEC C&C Foundation today announced that the 2019 C&C Prize will be awarded to two groups for their contributions to the image processing that forms the foundations of broadcasting and information & communication engineering, and to development of fundamental theories in distributed computing systems. Dr. Yasuhiko Yasuda and Prof. Mitsutoshi Hatori will represent Group A and Dr. Leslie Lamport will represent Group B. Each recipient will be recognized with a certificate of merit and a plaque. Each group will also receive a cash award of ten million yen.

The C&C Prize was established in 1985 and is awarded to distinguished persons in recognition of outstanding contributions to R&D activities and pioneering work related to the integration of computers and communications technologies and the social impact of developments in these fields. This year's two recipient groups are outlined below.

The prize ceremony and acceptance speeches will be held on Wednesday, November 27 from 15:00 at the Tokyo Prince Hotel.

2019 C&C Prize Recipients

Group A

Dr. Yasuhiko Yasuda
 Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo
 Professor Emeritus, Waseda University

Prof. Mitsutoshi Hatori
 Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo
 Professor Emeritus, National Institute of Informatics

Citation
For leadership in pioneering research and development in the field of image processing that forms the foundations of broadcasting and information & communication engineering

Achievement
As the popularity of digital broadcasting has risen, the internet and social networking are pervasive in our social lives. With the practical realization of high-definition TV broadcasting such as 8K following the rollout of 4K, the launch of 5G high-speed wireless communication is expected to further drive social transformation and development. Efficient and user-friendly image coding technology has long played an integral role in the realization of this technology.

Since the 1960s, Dr. Yasuhiko Yasuda's research and proposals on topics such as delta sigma modulation, G2/G3 facsimile encoding, and hierarchical image encoding have led to a long list of pioneering achievements that have helped develop information and communication engineering as we know it today. In addition to technological contributions, he has dedicated long years of service performing as a chairman of conferences and on various councils, and has spearheaded the formulation of standards in digital broadcast systems. He has built a legacy of innovation in information and communication engineering from its development to practical application.

Prof. Mitsutoshi Hatori predicted the critical role high-efficiency coding was going to play in the future of TV signals, video phones, video conferencing, and other video images, and he conducted research from the early stages of development. He produced a number of research results and accomplishments that form the basis of today's high-efficiency video coding technology. Besides basic research on video signal processing, he was a leader in organizations responsible for facilitating practical use and standardization.

Given the enormous impact that they have had on the world through their visionary research in, and their development and promotion of, the image processing field and its social implementation, we believe that Dr. Yasuda and Prof. Hatori would be excellent recipients of the C&C Prize

Group B

Dr. Leslie Lamport
 Distinguished Scientist, Microsoft Research

Citation
For outstanding contributions to the development of fundamental theories in distributed computing systems

Achievement
The architecture of super-distributed computing systems has been developing at a rapid pace. Early centralized computing systems went into full-scale operation in the 1960s and performed data processing in a central location. In the era of distributed computing, the system consisted of a network of a mainframe and minicomputers that evolved along with processing capabilities. In the 21st century, the omnipresence of the internet and the emergence of massive data centers have triggered rapid advances in cloud computing. The spread of IoT to everyday objects has further accelerated the paradigm shift to super-distributed computing. Today's computing systems integrate a multitude of super-distributed devices into the processing system to focus on ensuring real-time responses in real-world control systems (e.g., self-driving vehicles). This requires a stable and highly autonomous environment

Throughout his many years researching distributed computing systems, Dr. Leslie Lamport has provided a mathematical basis for computational processing environments and has presented a family of algorithms that facilitate data synchronization, which can pose problems for distributed systems in particular. Synchronization in a distributed processing system is based on the procedures and measures that coordinate the actions of processes. These procedures and measures have been applied to a vast range of familiar fields, such as multiprocessing systems, databases, and fault tolerance. The consensus algorithm in fault tolerance has contributed significantly to the development of these fields and is recognized as the starting point for the basic concept behind blockchains, a system of records of cryptocurrency transactions (i.e., network payments)..

In the information and communications industry, computing systems in super-distributed environments are rapidly developing based on the internet and high-speed wireless connectivity. In the realization of these elements, the creation of a basic academic theory concerning distributed processing systems has had an enormous impact. In view of the contributions Dr. Lamport has made through his numerous research results and their applications, we believe that he would be an excellent recipient of the C&C Prize

See the attachments for profiles and detailed achievements of the recipients:

ATTACHMENT 1: Profile and Detailed Achievements of the Group A Recipient of the 2019 C&C Prize
ATTACHMENT 2: Profile and Detailed Achievements of the Group B Recipient of the 2019 C&C Prize

For additional information, please visit The NEC C&C Foundation website at: http://www.candc.or.jp/en/index.html

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About The NEC C&C Foundation
The NEC C&C Foundation is a non-profit organization established in March 1985 to foster further growth in the electronics industry by encouraging and supporting research and development activities and pioneering work related to the integration of computers and communications technologies, that is, C&C, and ultimately to contribute to the world economy and the enrichment of human life. The Foundation is funded by NEC Corporation.

The Foundation currently has two main activities. It presents the annual C&C Prizes to recognize outstanding contributions to R&D activities and pioneering work in the area of C&C. Candidates are recommended from all over the world. Each prize winner receives a certificate, a plaque, and a cash award (ten million yen per group). As of 2018, 112 prominent persons had received the prize. In addition, an Outstanding Paper Award for Young C&C Researchers is awarded annually to outstanding paper(s) presented at an international conference overseas with the support of a grant from the Foundation. Each recipient is given a cash award of 200,000 yen.

The Foundation also gives the following two grants: (1) grant to enable researchers in Japan to attend international conferences overseas to make presentations in the field of C&C and (2) grant to non-Japanese researchers in Japan.

For additional information, please visit The NEC C&C Foundation website at:http://www.candc.or.jp/en/index.html.

About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. The NEC Group globally provides "Solutions for Society" that promote the safety, security, efficiency and equality of society. Under the company's corporate message of "Orchestrating a brighter world," NEC aims to help solve a wide range of challenging issues and to create new social value for the changing world of tomorrow. For more information, visit NEC at https://www.nec.com.