Sojitz Corporation will acquire shares of Sojitz Systems Corporation (based in Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; president: Kazunori Obata) from Computer Engineering & Consulting, Ltd. (CEC) and make it a wholly-owned subsidiary. Sojitz Systems conducts software development and provides information processing and communications network services. Sojitz and CEC concluded a share purchase agreement for acquisition of 875 shares of Sojitz Systems (70% of issued shares) today. The share transfer is scheduled for November 4.

Sojitz transferred the Sojitz Systems shares to CEC in March 2005. Sojitz Systems worked in cooperation with CEC to develop new customers and has developed various businesses including development of order intake and placement systems and sales management systems as well as IT outsourcing such as construction of server systems, network solutions including security countermeasures, and system maintenance, successfully expanding its business and enhancing its capabilities. By making Sojitz Systems a wholly-owned subsidiary, Sojitz will reinforce its IT service businesses including system development and maintenance.

The shift away from businesses owning IT systems and towards using them as exemplified by cloud computing is accelerating, and it is expected that IT services will grow to become approximately a 6 trillion yen market three years from now. Sojitz is expanding its domestic and overseas business by investing in companies such as Sakura Internet, Inc., a data center operator, and NetEnrich Inc., a US-based IT infrastructure remote monitoring service company. This year, Sojitz took measures to further bolster group ICT businesses by implementing a takeover bid and strengthening its alliance with Nissho Electric Corporations and taking other measures.

As a general trading company, Sojitz is using its extensive networks to develop an ICT business value chain that can provide a wide range of services from system development to IT equipment sales and installation and system maintenance and operation.

Overview of Sojitz Systems Corporation

Date of establishment	May 4, 1985
Representative	Kazunori Obata, President
Capital	111.59 million yen
Sales	6,052 million yen (fiscal year ended December 2008)
Business activities	Software development, information processing services, communications network services, package software and hardware sales, international business.