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Director interview
New President interview
As a member of "Council of Experts Concerning the Follow-up of Japan's Stewardship Code and Japan's Corporate Governance Code," Mr. Yoichiro Iwama had contributed to revising "Japan's Corporate Governance Code" and others. He has deep insights in corporate governance and has provided valuable advice and supervision to IIJ's management. We spoke with him about IIJ's governance structure and the challenges it faces in achieving medium- and long-term growth.
Q1: Could you share your views on IIJ's current status and future direction?
We have been providing services since the early days of Internet in Japan. IIJ is recognized for its strong technological expertise, with approximately 70% of our employees being engineers. Continuing to enhance this key capability remains a fundamental priority. Internet is not a static or mature technology; it is continuously evolving. As such, we are expected to consistently absorb the latest advancements and deliver them to our customers in an easily understandable way.
In recent years, we have seen a growing trend toward the integration of network services and solution services, referred to as "Service Integration," particularly in the system and network domains of both private and public sectors. As society increasingly relies on Internet as the core infrastructure, utilizes solution services via networks, and enters an era in which large volumes of data are exchanged, we aim to actively develop and deliver new services by fully leveraging our strength in providing one-stop services that combine network and solution offerings.
As digitalization breaks down the barriers between traditional business domains, IT system operations are rapidly becoming more complex and sophisticated. In light of these developments, we remain committed to providing services that respond quickly and flexibly to the diverse needs of our customers.
Q2: What are the key areas of focus under the new management structure?
As mentioned earlier, our strength lies in the integration of networks and solutions backed by strong technological expertise. Our foremost priority is to thoroughly reinforce this foundation. Building upon that, we are advancing three strategic focus areas under project teams directly reporting to the president: "Data circulation and integration business," "Enhancement of cybersecurity," and "Enhancement of innovative human capital."
First, regarding the "Data circulation and integration business," the effective use of data is becoming critically important in today's networked society. Generative AI, which has rapidly gained popularity in recent years, can be seen as an accelerator for data circulation and processing. We believe there is significant growth potential in the "Data circulation and integration business," which creates new value through the seamless integration and circulation of data. We already provide "IIJ Cloud Data Platform Service," which securely connects various types of data, and we plan to further enhance and expand network services.
Next, regarding the "Enhancement of cybersecurity," as everything becomes connected to networks, it is necessary to consider security in all aspects of digital infrastructure. Traditionally, cybersecurity has emphasized ensuring "confidentiality" to prevent data breaches. However, going forward, "integrity," such as preventing AI from being trained on inappropriate, will also become important. While awareness of cybersecurity has spread among corporate executives in Japan, there still exists a tendency to view "security as a cost." We seek to change this perception by fostering the mindset of "security as an investment," emphasizing that robust security measures can enhance corporate value.
Lastly, regarding the "Enhancement of innovative human capital," we believe that IIJ should not only be "Internet Initiative" but also "Innovation Initiative. Therefore, we will intensify our focus on developing our most valuable asset— our human resources. By fostering a work environment that encourages continuous innovation, promoting training programs and community building, we aim to strengthen collaboration across departments to create synergies and cultivate talent capable of generating innovation through advanced technological expertise.
While maintaining the growth trajectory we have built over the years, we will also pursue these three strategic areas in order to contribute to Japan's DX and further enhance our corporate value.
| Mr. Yasuhiko Taniwaki, IIJ's President, Co-CEO, and COO Career & current positions in and outside IIJ |
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