Tokyo, June 2, 2000 --- Fujitsu Limited and Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.
have agreed to jointly establish a new type of combined online and
franchise company that will provide a comprehensive array of auto-
related services to motorists in Japan. To be called Kurumark Co.,
Ltd., the company will link a network of specially selected service
stations and garages with a new web portal site from which customers
will be able to access auto-related information and arrange for
maintenance or other services. The portal site, to be called
CarLife@nifty, will be developed and hosted by Fujitsu's @nifty, Japan's largest Internet provider. The new company is to be formally
established in July, with operations to commence in October.
The establishment of Kurumark responds to busy Japanese motorists'
growing demands for more information about service levels and prices
for such services as car inspections, maintenance, repairs, car
washing and so on. Individual gas stations, car dealers, specialized
repair shops other outlets provide various types and levels of
service, however it is often not easy for the customer to determine
where to find the particular type of service he requires or to make
arrangements during regular business hours. Kurumark will address
these issues by providing a round-the-clock, one-stop solution for
auto-related services.
Kurumark Co., Ltd. At a Glance
| Head Office: | Marunouchi 3-1-1, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
(on premises of Idemitsu Kosan) |
| Capital: | 200 million yen
(Idemitsu - 160 million yen, Fujitsu- 40 million yen) |
| Management: | To be announced |
| Franchisees: | At commencement of operations in October, 40 gas
stations, repair shops and garages in Tokyo's Tama area
and Yokohama. 2,000 franchisees are targeted in five
years. |
| Sales target: | 40 billion yen in fifth year of operation |
Business Outline:
- Under a newly established brand, the company will set up strict qualification criteria for franchisees and begin recruiting them. To augment technical services which are not available at gas stations, arrangements will also be made with specialized repair
shops.
- The company will tie up with various types of businesses to offer an extensive menu of services.
- Accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Car@nifty will provide information and handle reservations and arrangements for a wide range of services:
- Car Life Service Menu - maintenance, inspection, body repair, auto rental, car washing, brokering new car sales, brokering and repurchase of second-hand autos, auto leasing, road service, child seat rental, information on driving schools, insurance, travel arrangements, delivery services, music and information distribution, etc.
- Provision of online services based on individual auto maintenance records kept in database
- An incentive program covering online usage fees and visits to franchisees
- Special benefits for users who make reservations online and @nifty subscribers.
* All company/product names mentioned may be trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective holders and are used for identification
purpose only.
About Fujitsu Limited
Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) is a leading provider of Internet-based
information technology solutions for the global marketplace.
Comprising over 500 group companies and affiliates worldwide --
including ICL, Amdahl and DMR Consulting -- it had consolidated
revenues of 5.26 trillion yen ($49.6 billion) in the fiscal year ended
March 31, 2000. Fujitsu's pace-setting technologies, world-class
computing and telecommunications platforms, and global corps of over
60,000 systems and services experts make it uniquely positioned to
harness the power of the Internet to help its customers succeed.
Altogether, the Fujitsu Group has 188,000 employees and operations
in over 100 countries.
Home page: http://www.fujitsu.com/
| Press Contacts: |
|---|
Naomi Ogawa, Bob Pomeroy, Scott Ikeda
Fujitsu Limited, Public Relations
Tel: +81-3-3215-5236 (Tokyo)
Fax: +81-3-3216-9365
E-mail: pr_mailbox@hq.fujitsu.co.jp
|
Naomi Inoue, Akihiko Adachi, Kimihiro Yuasa
Idemitsu Kosan, Public Relations
Tel: +81-3-3213-3115 (Tokyo)
Fax: +81-3-3213-9354
|
|