JAPAN SECURE PC's FROM HITACHI HIT THE MARKETPLACEHitachi ramping up sales of secure PCsHitachi ramping up sales of secure PCs

Reuters
Monday, May 23, 2005; 8:35 AM

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Hitachi Ltd. <6501.T> said on Monday it aimed to sell 30,000 security-enhanced personal computers (PCs) with no hard disk drives (HDDs) this business year at a time of growing concern about corporate data leakage.

Hitachi sees personal computers with advanced security functions as an area of growth as corporations step up efforts to prevent business data from leaking, and it launched its first HDD-less notebook computer in April.

In order to appeal to broader corporate customers, the Tokyo-based company plans to offer two additional models of security-enhanced desktop and notebook PCs by August.

The new notebook PC is expected to sell for about 129,000 yen ($1,193) and the desktop model for 124,000 yen, Hitachi said.

The HDD-less PC stores no information. Tasks are carried out by interacting with server computers or PCs in the office, protecting business information including the personal data of clients even when the PC is lost or stolen.

Hitachi, Japan's largest electronics conglomerate, said it aimed for 10 billion yen ($92.5 million) in sales of the new PCs and related products and services in the year to next March.

Hitachi said demand for security-enhanced PCs is likely to total 300,000 units in Japan in the current business year.

Rival NEC Corp. <6701.T> also launched personal computers with no hard disk drives in April, aiming for 100 billion yen in sales, related hardware and computer services in three years.

Shares in Hitachi, which aims for an overall PC shipments of 756,000 units in the year to next March, closed 2.55 percent higher at 643 yen, outperforming the Tokyo stock market's electric machinery index <.IELEC.T>, which gained 1.14 percent. ($1=108.15 yen)