BookTitleToyota Tsusho 70-Year History

Summary

Toyota Tsusho 70-Year History

Transition to Systems Proposal-Type BusinessIn the Information & Electronics Division, Toyota Tsusho was engaged inhardware-centric businesses for TMC and Toyota Group companies. In the 1990s,the business style shifted to a software and systems proposal-type business,and sales of electronics components, electronic devices computers, and storagedevices, such as hard disk drives, expanded to the general market.The company was dealing in digital set-top boxes supporting CATV digitization,center equipment, W-CDMA next-generation mobile phone systems, e-commerce,IC cards, and information communications.Launch of the Electronic Courier ServiceIn 1997, Toyota Tsusho conducted a commercial survey of the electronic courierservice in Japan, which was developed and commercialized by e-Parcel in theU.S. and started the service the following year. Toyota Tsusho also started its ITS(intelligent transport systems) business at this time.In June 1999, the Information & Electronics Division merged with theMachinery Division, and the new Machinery and Information TechnologyDivision was launched. As car electronics made significant progress, ToyotaTsusho strengthened its proposals for electronic products, such as EFI (electronicfuel injection), suspensions, ABS (anti-lock brake systems), airbags, and dedicateddisplays.Establishment of Toyotsu Telecom Corp.In March 1994, Toyotsu Telecom Corp. (currently Toyotsu Syscom Corp.) wasestablished with the aim of further expanding the existing information-relatedbusiness. This is because in the information and communications sector, rapidtechnological progress, the appearance of various products, and deregulation hadled to demand for dynamic and flexible strategies.Toyota Tsusho established bases in Sapporo and Sendai and set up a ServiceDevelopment Section with the aim of entering multimedia-related sectors. Inaddition, the company began to develop dealers and retailers for mobile phones,which had become popular, and developed this business nationwide.4 Business Development of the Vehicle DivisionChanging the Organizational StructureIn April 1991, the Vehicle Division was reorganized. The Vehicle TechnologySection of the Vehicle Management Department was reorganized as the VehicleService Department, and the Vehicle Management Department became theVehicle Management Section from July. Also, Vehicle Departments 1 to 4were reorganized into Vehicle Departments 1 and 2, and the Industrial VehicleDepartment and Overseas Production Parts Department were added to form a fivedepartment,one-section structure.The Overseas Vehicle Production Section was established in March 1993, theOsaka Vehicle Department was established in March 1994, and the IndustrialVehicle Department and Hino Group were merged in March 1995 to form VehicleDepartment 3. At the same time, in response to the reorganization of the OverseasSales Division of TMC, the Overseas Vehicle Production Section was reorganizedToyota Lanka (Pvt) Ltd.History99