Fujitsu - The Future from Fujitsu

Fujitsu is shaping the future of telecommunications, when TV viewers will be able to create their own programme schedule, families will be able to see as well as talk to each other using video telephony and everyone with a TV will have access to the internet. These advances are just a few years away and Fujitsu's 700 employees in the West Midlands are helping to make them a reality.

Birmingham is Fujitsu's second largest base outside Japan. The state of the art European headquarters building was completed in 1996 and its location was deliberately chosen for its strategic importance. Manufacturing skills in the region are extensive and overheads significantly lower than the South East of England. Director of Business Development, Marc Curtis explains:

"All parts of the UK are accessible from here, it is a fantastic location. London is just one and a half hours away and we are only a few minutes drive from Birmingham International Airport and railway station. Skilled employees are vital to the future of our business and we are able to draw on some of the finest engineering and sales & marketing graduates from local universities like Aston and Warwick."

By locating away from most of its competitors along the M4 corridor, Fujitsu has significantly increased staff retention levels. "People move here for the quality of life," says Marc. "They are reluctant to relocate to the overcrowded South East. Visitors from Japan are amazed by the lush greenery and open space that surrounds our office. They are more accustomed to the high rise buildings and concrete of Tokyo."

Fujitsu Europe is a centre of excellence for broadband technology. Staff here pioneered FDX, Fujitsu's flagship broadband access product which delivers high speed data via existing phone lines. The product is one of only two being used by BT, the UK's leading telecommunications provider, which has a target of supplying five million UK households with broadband by the year 2006. For businesses that transfer a large amount of data, fibre optic technology provides a faster, more effective route than conventional phone lines. Fujitsu developed FBX, a ground-breaking fibre access product, which is being installed across the UK. The company also carries out civil engineering for the telecommunications industry, and installs and maintains electronic equipment in UK telephone exchanges.

In the early 90s, sales at Fujitsu Europe were £25m per annum. Today, they are around £200m. The company is part of a global network and plays a significant role in the group's success across the world. It was part of a consortium of leading edge telecommunications companies who were the brains behind broadband and Fujitsu continues to push the boundaries of telecommunications technology. For phone, internet and TV users across Europe, an exciting and interactive future is being formulated right here in the West Midlands.

Interview given by Marc Curtis, Director of Business Development.

For more information about Fujitsu, visit www.ftel.co.uk