TOKYO, Mar 11, 2024 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi, Ltd. has concluded a strategic alliance agreement with Amazon Web Services Japan G. K. (AWS) to strengthen hybrid cloud solutions.Based on this Agreement, Hitachi and AWS will strengthen the development of hybrid cloud solutions that we have co-created for the purpose of promoting system modernization and cloud migration for customers over a three-year period starting in April 2024. We will also accelerate the deployment of these solutions with the technical support of AWS. Furthermore, we are encouraging the Hitachi engineers who have supported these mission-critical systems to acquire AWS certification, aiming to achieve approximately 4,000 holders from the current 2,000 holders. This will accelerate the modernization of existing systems and cloud-service use.

Background and Hitachi's initiatives

To adapt to rapidly evolving changes in the business environment and create higher customer value, there is a growing need for environments to effectively integrate multiple data sources, including essential data and data scattered across various locations.

Hitachi has been collaborating with AWS since 2021 to develop solutions that can facilitate such environments. In 2022, we achieved joint data operation across Hitachi's storage systems and AWS cloud storage service Amazon S3, and improved availability by making connection passes between Hitachi Storage and AWS redundant(1). In 2023, we launched the Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform on cloud ("VSP on cloud"), a cloud storage services which is the core of public cloud integration with EverFlex from Hitachi(2), and co-creating solutions to achieve mission-critical hybrid cloud environments.

In the light of these circumstances, our strategic alliance aims to address the increasing customer demands for accelerated data integration and utilization driven by the rise of Generative AI. We will work together to drive the modernization of mission-critical systems and accelerate the adoption of cloud migration over a multi-year period.

Key Points of the Strategic Alliance Agreement

1. Realizing flexible data utilization with hybrid clouds
By combining Hitachi's various solutions and AWS' broad and deep cloud services, we aim to create free, safe, and secure data utilization within hybrid cloud environments and we will promote initiatives to optimize and automate the operating of shared data infrastructure through on-premise Hitachi Storage and VSP on cloud(3), building upon our previous initiatives.

Additionally, we will strengthen trust, which is considered important for mission-critical systems, by using "Hitachi Microservices Platform - Paxos Commit Transaction Orchestrator." This platform ensures consistency in online transaction processing, particularly in hybrid cloud environments where legacy application assets and cloud-native technologies coexist. Furthermore, we aim to allow users to engage with Generative AI to identify causes of failure, consider countermeasures, and promptly solve problems, doing so by linking the SaaS-type Integrated Operation Management "JP1 Cloud Service" and AWS' fully managed service Amazon Bedrock in the future.  

2. Implementation of Joint Promotion
Hitachi and AWS will jointly launch the hybrid cloud solutions, which are the results of the two companies' work, on the market. More concretely, the companies share common business goals and will conduct joint promotions, seminars, thereby accelerating corporate system modernization and AWS use.  

3. Enhancing the support system for building and operating hybrid cloud solutions
Hitachi aims to reach about 4,000 holders of AWS certification, centering on the Hitachi engineers with abundant experience building and operating important systems.

Hitachi engineers who hold AWS certification develop and provide hybrid cloud solutions and SRE engineers, who are specialized in operating cloud systems, deliver a managed service called "Hitachi Application Reliability Centers" (HARC), which improves the customers' system operation.

By combining Hitachi's hybrid cloud solutions with HARC, these engineers will contribute to clients' business transformation by supporting solutions to diverse problems that come up in all phases, ranging from modernization of existing systems to introduction and operation of AWS services. Moreover, Hitachi will support the stable operation of client systems in hybrid environments by facilitating provision of support services for mission-critical core systems vertically integrated from hardware to middleware, cultivated on-premise until now, also in AWS environments.

Hitachi will continue to strengthen collaboration with AWS to realize a hybrid cloud environment in which all corporate data, including highly confidential data, can be used safely, securely, and seamlessly in a variety of cloud services, thereby supporting customers' data-driven management and contribute to sustainable growth.

"Amazon Web Services Japan G. K. welcomes the strategic alliance between Hitachi and AWS", said Muneyuki Watanabe, Executive Officer and Partnership Management Division Head at Amazon Web Services Japan G. K. "Until now, Hitachi and AWS have been supporting clients' data utilization based on collaboration in hybrid cloud storage such as VSP on Cloud. I expect that this alliance will contribute to the realization of business innovation that utilize AWS services including advanced technologies such as Generative AI."

"Hitachi and AWS have continuously created innovative digital solutions by leveraging their mutual IT, OT, and product capabilities under a strong and longstanding partnership", said Jun Abe, Senior Vice President and Executive Officer, CEO of Cloud Services Platform Business Unit, Hitachi, Ltd. "Together, they have supported customers' data-driven management in various sectors, including finance and railways, as well as social infrastructure. As expectations for Generative AI for sustainable business growth are rapidly increasing, we are very delighted to strengthen our strategic collaboration with AWS to accelerate the development and joint deployment of hybrid cloud solutions that enable data to be used more securely than ever before. Through further collaboration with AWS, we will accelerate DX for our customers and society, and contribute to the creation of enterprise value, including consideration of planetary boundaries and improvement of well-being."

(1) News Release: February 24, 2022, "Strengthening Hybrid Cloud Solution EverFlex form Hitachi" (Only in Japanese)
(2) News Release: June 6, 2023, "Strengthening Hybrid Cloud Solutions through Co-creation with AWS" (Only in Japanese)
(3) VSP on cloud is only sold in Japan.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society through the use of data and technology. We solve customers' and society's challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products. Hitachi operates under the business structure of "Digital Systems & Services" – supporting our customers' digital transformation; "Green Energy & Mobility" – contributing to a decarbonized society through energy and railway systems; and "Connective Industries" – connecting products through digital technology to provide solutions in various industries. Driven by Digital, Green, and Innovation, we aim for growth through co-creation with our customers. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2022 (ended March 31, 2023) totaled 10,881.1 billion yen, with 696 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 320,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at https://www.hitachi.com.

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