Strategies
Research and Development that Creates New Value
Kazuo Oshima
Executive Manager of Research & Development Headquarters, NTT FACILITIES, INC.
The Research & Development Headquarters ofNTT Facilities is developing core technologies.
Power supply system integration technologies
Power supply systems for IT (information technology) equipment must cope with unexpected commercial power failures. To meet this demand, we aredeveloping technologies for diagnosing the soundness of batteries and enhancing maintenance efficiency. Other development topics include power-storage
systems, small light-weight batteries as back-up
power supply systems for IT equipment, and design
technologies to avert the occurrence of oscillation
phenomena.
System operation upgrading technologies
Power-supply and air-conditioning facilities
installed in about 7300 NTT-related buildings aremonitored by the “ALICE” system. In April 2004, thesystem’s fourth version was introduced to provide
enhanced functions and create a full-time monitoring
service from two sites: Tokyo and Osaka. SOPHIA isa power-supply business support system that effectively supports the management and maintenance ofpower-supply and air-conditioning facilities. Thissystem assists in the preparation of proposals andtimely renovation of facilities based on a maintenance history analysis.
Environmental & energy-saving technologies
To cope with global warming and promote the formation of a recycling-oriented society, NTT Facilities carries out various development activities. These
include making ‘green design’ tools for building
design and environment-oriented construction specifications; making building automation systems featuring low environmental loads and programs for
managing energy and water charges; developing
energy-saving technologies for air-conditioning systems for IT equipment, outdoor-air cooling systems
for offices, and charging controllers and batteries foreffecting storage of natural energy from sunlight andwind, etc; and developing technologies for creating
excellent wind-environments in neighborhoods.
IT environment compatible technologies
Telecommunications buildings and data centersrequire high-grade anti-seismic, fireproof, crime-preventive, and waterproofing capabilities. They alsoneed special air-conditioning systems for cooling IT
equipment and special raised floor systems withexcellent anti-seismic properties. To meet thesedemands, we are developing various systems anddesign methodologies for planning or renovatingbuildings that accommodate IT equipment.
Facility management support technologies
In this stock-management age, enterprises seeking
optimal operation of their assets need to maximize
the value of their assets by investing appropriately
and reducing operating costs. To meet these demands,
NTT Facilities is developing facility management
information infrastructure construction technologies,
evaluation and diagnosis methodologies that support
facility-related investment judgments, and various
facility management business support systems foroperating facilities effectively.
IT solution creating technologies
NTT Facilities utilizes state-of-the-art IT to develop systems and design methods for facility management. For example, many CPUs (central processingunits) scattered in buildings can be connected by ahigh-speed network to enable greater labor- and energy-saving than in conventional systems, and personnel entry control systems are being made compatible
with new highly reliable identification methods. We
are striving to increase our lineup of IT hyper packages that accompany highly reliable power and airconditioning systems and high-grade anti-seismicfeatures to safely accommodate IT equipment such asservers and routers.
The Research & Development Headquarters willcontinue to develop technology quickly to createengineering services with greater quality, efficiency,and added value.