Fujitsu Ltd’s consolidated results for the year to March 31, showing net profit from its 433 subsidiaries worldwide up 40% at the equivalent of $601m (CI No 2,922), are actually down on translation: this year, the dollar buys 106 yen, last year it was only 89. The 15% turnover rise to $35,800m was fueled by very strong sales of personal computers in the Japanese market – 1.45m units, compared with 450,000 last year, putting Fujitsu number two behind NEC Corp. This was mainly due to Fujitsu’s increased reliance on its IBM Japan DOS/V standard FMV product line, which has largely supplanted the proprietary FMR line, and heavy discounting to buy market share. The DS server line and S-series of workstations also gained. Total consolidated revenue for the computer systems division rose 13% to $23,179m. Communications systems sales grew 32% in the domestic market, where Personal Handy Phones, high speed networking equipment, and fibre optic systems led the way. Domestic sales of communications systems rose 32% to $4,525m. In the semiconductor and components arm, overall growth was 17%, with overseas sales growing 23%. Demand was strongest for dynamic and Flash memory and logic products. For fiscal 1997 it sees sales growth of 16% to $41,130m. Computing and telecommunications equipment sales will grow as the chip business slows.
