Yamatake Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, has established SecurityFriday Co., Ltd., a venture business specializing in corporate network intrusion protection solutions; this is the first enterprise set up under Yamatake's "in-house venture system".
Since 2002, employees of Yamatake Corporation and the Yamatake Group as a whole have been encouraged to propose business ventures and ideas under an in-house venture system designed to promote future business expansion while also stimulating the corporate culture.
SecurityFriday started operations on June 1, 2003, as the first venture business set up by entrepreneurs using this system.
The main participants in this new venture, SecurityFriday, have been involved for approximately three years with technology research involving network security within Yamatake's R&D Headquarters. The results of their research were presented in July 2001 at Black Hat Briefings '01 (a conference on network security technologies), the first occasion for Japanese researchers to address the conference. As a result, their network security research project became known internationally. At present, a variety of technical information relating to their work is made available via a Web site.
SecurityFriday is set to venture boldly into new business fields, drawing on its track record and brand power as well as its advanced technologies.
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| 1. |
Company name |
SecurityFriday Co., Ltd. |
| 2. |
Contact information |
89-1 Fujisawa, Fujisawa City, Kanagawa, Japan
Fax: +81(0)466-26-1130
URL: www.securityfriday.com
Email: sales@securityfriday.com |
| 3. |
Established |
April 16, 2003 |
| 4. |
Business activities |
SecurityFriday was established to provide solutions to intrinsic, personnel-based network security problems affecting the IT infrastructure of corporations in which networks are being rapidly adopted. In order to fulfill this mission, the company is engaged in the following two businesses:
| (1) |
Intrusion prevention solution business |
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In order to prevent unauthorized access to a corporate network, SecurityFriday offers Windows-based software packages: VISUACT™ Sensor, which monitors access to a file server in the same way as do the cameras installed at bank ATM machines, and VISUACT™ Recorder/Viewer, which records the images in the same ways as a VCR. By installing these beside a file server, it is possible to monitor previously invisible aspects of a network, preventing unauthorized access within the organization. The marketing plan is to conduct package sales for public and private sectors, as well asOEM sales for security system vendors and associated system integrators. |
| (2) |
Password solution business |
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SecurityFriday also provides Ninjutsu ShugyoTM software that can quantify password strength, for which in the past there have been only rough, nonscientific indices. This software provides effective security training directed at both corporate and private users. In addition, it solves the very practical and yet difficult problems afflicting the day-to-day running of a network — namely, choosing a weak password so it’s easy to remember or writing down a strong password because it can’t be remembered. It achieves this by instructing users on ways to make passwords more secure and retain strong passwords. |
VISUACT™ Sensor, VISUACT™ Recorder/Viewer, and Ninjutsu Shugyo™ are all registered trademarks of SecurityFriday Co., Ltd. |
| 5. |
Capital |
¥50 million |
| 6. |
Investment partners |
Yamatake Corp.: ¥42.5 million (85%)
Founding members: ¥7.5 million (15%) |
| 7. |
Officers and employees |
President: Daiji Sanai
Director: Yoshio Nakaoka
Director: Masaaki Iwai
(Executive Officer and General Manager of the Corporate Planning Department, Yamatake)
Auditor: Tomohiko Matsuyasu
(Senior Manager of the Finance Division, Yamatake)
+ 3 employees |
| 8. |
Sales goals |
¥100 million (2003), ¥300 million (2004), ¥1.2 billion (2005) |
| The Yamatake Group Venture System |
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Name: In-house venture system |
| 2. |
System overview |
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Purpose: to provide capital and business resources to Yamatake Group employees aspiring to start up a venture business. |
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Those who can apply: YG employees of Yamatake Corporation itself or of subsidiaries in Japan 100%-owned by Yamatake. |
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Venture concepts are not limited to any particular field(s), as long as they can contribute, directly or indirectly, to the Yamatake Group corporate vision of realizing a world that is easier both on people and the environment. |
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The running of this system is the responsibility of the YG Venture Business Reviewing Board, a committee made up of people from inside and outside the company charged with reviewing and evaluating business proposals. |
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Standards for determining feasibility |
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In principle, a venture business should have good prospects for making a profit by its third year, and for making up any accumulated losses within five years. |
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Investment |
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A maximum of ¥200 million (including capital) may be invested. |
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Process |
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Application |
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Preliminary review [presentations made by the applicant(s)] |
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Business feasibility study [6 months, in principle] |
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d. |
Secondary review |
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e. |
Final review |
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f. |
Start of new business |
| 6. |
2002 results |
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33 business proposals were made, of which 8 passed the preliminary review, and 3 passed the secondary review. Following SecurityFriday, it is planned to launch a virtual company based on another 2002 proposal. |
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Yamatake Corporation
2-12-19 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan |
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If you have any questions regarding this press release, please contact either:
Daiji Sanai or Yoshio Nakaoka
SecurityFriday Co., Ltd.
Email: sales@securityfriday.com |
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