Fujitsu Ltd last month introduced what is a new concept for the Japanese computer industry – chargeable services. The Japanese concept of service has traditionally included a range of bundled services, including software engineering and customer engineering services, and sometimes major systems development projects – pay well over the odds for the hardware and get the full custom application thrown in for nothing. In recent years, this system has been the target of criticism both from abroad and within Japan – charges of non-transparency and nepotism in the supplier-customer relationship have been made to stick. Companies now face the prospect of declining hardware revenues per box, and Fujitsu has learned from its subsidiaries such as ICL Plc and Fujitsu Australia Pte Ltd and has introduced a new system called Propose, for PROfessional total suPOrt Service. It consists of three major categories: the Application domain, the Systems Environment domain and the Personnel Skills Development domain. A number of new service products such as consulting services for companies in specific horizontal and vertical markets such as computer integrated manufacturing or systems integration for financial institutions in the application area; and installation consulting and documentation creation services, systems relocation service, intelligent building system integration service, and internatinal network integration services in the systems environment area. In the education area, new service products include dedicated terminal training and a computer-aided instruction planning and development service, and education will be made chargeable. Fujitsu now runs regular international service planning meetings with its subsidiaries.
