Hitachi Ltd. will open a showroom in central Tokyo on March 30 to let people experience its system for getting online services from public offices that the government plans to launch in the next few years, company sources said Monday.
The system, to be called Cyber Government Square, provides simulated access to public offices through online computer networks.
Initially, the showroom will be available by reservation for those who work for the central and local governments and other public entities. In the future, access will widen to accept the general public, the sources said.
Hitachi is opening the showroom in view of the government's "millennium project," under which it plans to construct online networks linking various public offices such as city offices, and local health and welfare offices, as well as the police, the sources said.
The networks will enable people to obtain copies of registration forms, certificates and use other public services without actually going to those offices.
To use the online services, which the government plans to start in fiscal 2003, people will be required to use an identification card that holds their private data.
The technology to be involved in constructing the online networks is expected to create a market worth 1 trillion yen for the electronics industry, according to the Hitachi sources.
In addition to Hitachi, big electronics makers such as NEC Corp., Fujitsu Ltd. and IBM Japan Ltd. are closely watching the new market.
Hitachi plans to use its showroom to demonstrate the efficiency and safety of its system for the services, the sources said.