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Nikkei Computer

March 06, 2006 Issue <<Contents>>

FEATURE 1 Japanese Companies Can Lose No Time in Establishing Their Internal Control System It is urgently necessary to prepare for the Japanese version of the SOX law - The information systems divisions of Japanese companies are now facing the urgent task of improving internal control, as the so-called “Japanese version of the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) law” has started taking shape. There is an urgent need for listed companies and their consolidated subsidiaries in Japan to establish an appropriate internal control system to comply with the law. And it is also obvious that their information systems must be compatible with the law. This article examines how information systems divisions should deal with internal control. - Current status of the Japanese version of the SOX law and how to prepare for it - Three-year efforts by TDK to comply with the SOX law in the U.S.: Active roles played by 100 systems staff members - Guidelines on the SOX law are presented: How to use COBIT for SOX - Interview: Shinji Hatta (Professor, Graduate School of Professional Accountancy, Aoyama Gakuin University) “It is not just a recycled version of the US’s SOX law” FEATURE 2 Going Beyond the Limits of the Capabilities of Existing Databases Creating the “the system that couldn’t be built”

REPORT

[Inside]

- IBM Japan has received the order for the accounting system of the Internet-based Bank that was established by Sumitomo Trust & Banking and SBI Holdings

- The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has decided to send notifications requesting corrective action to the owners of websites from which personal information is leaked

- Other articles


[News & Trends]

- “Skill Standards for Information Systems,” designed for corporate users, is to be launched

- Leaks of personal information through viruses exploiting Winny, a Japanese peer-to-peer file-sharing program, cannot be prevented

- The business outlook of IBM Japan continues to be bleak due to sluggish sales of hardware

- The cause has been identified for delayed transmission of a large number of e-mails sent from Willcom's phones

- The overall picture of the information-system development plan for the privatization and breakup of Japan Post has been revealed

- Rakuten Securities is determined to take all possible measures to enhance its system

- “Electric power saving” has become a keyword in the field of storage

- Accenture begins consulting services for implementing Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)

- More details of Microsoft's Office Live are revealed

- Debut of tools for converting existing personal computers into thin client appliances


[From BusinessWeek]

- Hopes are raised as new companies emerge in the “post-Google” era


[News Flash for Each Industry]

- Distribution: Nittsu Shoji has developed an IC-tag-based system that enables users to improve efficiency of goods inspection by 30%

- Manufacturing: Shiseido has launched a system allowing it to share information with raw materials suppliers

PEOPLE

Interview
Taizo Nishimuro: Chairman & CEO, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Inc.

- The failures we have recently experienced force us to review all aspects of our business model and information systems


Real Feelings Expressed by Top Executives
Kunio Hara: President, Mary Chocolate Co., Ltd.

- Information should be shared openly by all employees of the company

CASE STUDIES

Investigation of a Noteworthy Project
Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd.

- In preparation for the merger of Dainippon Pharmaceuticals and Sumitomo Pharmaceutical, the two companies have successfully integrated their systems in only ten months, by adjusting them to meet the requirements of SAP R/3, which was used by Sumitomo


Absolute Solutions for Enhancing IT Strategy
The Dai-ichi Mutual Life Insurance Company

- The company has doubled its strategic IT budget


A Computer That Does Not Work
Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.

- The company has incurred a \5 billion extraordinary loss due to the suspension of its system development


[Novel / Cyber Lawless Area]

First Chapter: Head Hunting (4)

MANAGEMENT/TECHNOLOGY

Key Points in System Design for Increasing Business Value
- Whether or not operation divisions will participate in a project depends on how well project promotion measures and project procedures are developed


A Practical Project-Management Course for Users
- It is important to accurately determine the beginning and the end of a process


Techniques for Management Reforms That Can Be Used Immediately — Internal Control
- The effectiveness of internal control depends on how well its system is administered


Useful Legal Advice for When You Are in Trouble
- Phony subcontracting is rampant, and and corporate users may be penalized


IT Keywords You Should Have Known Long Ago

Supercomputer


Explanation

“Absolutely safe” encryption escapes from the lab