Hitachi Capital : Provide Digital Signage Solution in Shopping Complex, etc. in Kobe City

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Provide Digital Signage Solution in Shopping Complex, etc. in Kobe City

Contribution to Development of Convenient Urban Environment through

Prompt Distribution of Disaster Information, etc.

The large wall display of "M-INT KOBE,"

a shopping complex in front of Sannomiya Station in Kobe City

Tokyo, December 1, 2020 --- Hitachi Capital Corporation (TSE: 8586, President & CEO: Seiji Kawabe, "Hitachi Capital") signed a comprehensive partnership agreement on promotion of digital signage(1) business with THE KOBE SHIMBUN (President: Ryutaro Takanashi, "Kobe Shimbun"), and, as the first collaborative project, started to provide digital signage solutions(2) in "M-INT KOBE," a shopping complex in front of Sannomiya Station in Kobe City, "Santica," an underground mall in Sannomiya, and Kobe Airport, jointly with Hitachi Systems, Ltd. The newly replaced signage is planned to distribute evacuation recommendations and orders and damage information in times of disaster in coordination with L-Alert, a disaster information sharing system, in addition to advertising and news. The large wall display of "M-INT KOBE," installed in a high-traffic location in front of Sannomiya Station, promptly provides evacuation recommendations and the latest disaster information to passerby and, in times of disaster, people unable to return home.

Based on the agreement, Hitachi Capital and Kobe Shimbun will continue to expand their business in the Kansai area and also enhance contents distribution to include useful information such as train information and congestion status of tourist sites and commercial facilities.

Recently, an increasing number of digital signage has been installed in various spaces in the city such as public transportation and commercial facilities, with the market expected to further expand. And further spread of digital signage as well as

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enhancement of its functions are expected not only for its use for advertising and entertainment purposes, but also as media to distribute information such as operation status of public transportation, congestion status to avoid overcrowded situations, and evacuation order in times of disaster. Furthermore, many companies are working on development and demonstration experiments for new services of digital signage, to prepare for the future development of smart cities, including the provision of best suited information based on the attributes of passerby and surrounding environment, in combination with AI, cameras, and sensors.

Amid such circumstances, Hitachi Capital and Kobe Shimbun entered into a comprehensive partnership agreement in September, 2020 to contribute to development of better urban environment through promotion of digital signage business.

As the first project under the agreement, the companies started to provide digital signage solutions with a large display on the wall of "M-INT KOBE," a wall display in "Santica," an underground mall in Sannomiya, and a display on the arrival floor in Kobe Airport.

Hitachi Capital, in collaboration with partner companies including Hitachi Group, will offer digital signage solutions to meet customers' needs through a monthly subscription model which does not require initial investments. As for the future expansion of business development area, we will provide support for optimal information distribution through suggestions about where, how many and what to install by taking advantage of experience and insights in digital signage solutions.

Meanwhile, Kobe Shimbun will select contents suitable for digital signage and manage media.

With its mission to become "Social Values Creating Company," Hitachi Capital Group will strive to solve issues faced by local community through providing new values combining "Finance," "Services," and "Commercialization." We will continue to contribute to development of convenient urban environment and regional revitalization by delivering the most suited information to appropriate locations through digital signage solution.

1. Digital signage: a collective term for systems that distribute information using electronic display devices in various locations including outdoors, storefronts, public spaces, and public transportation (Source: Digital Signage Consortium)
2. Digital signage solution: a service offered by Hitachi Capital and Hitachi Systems, Ltd. to select, install, maintain, manage, and operate hardware and distribution systems of signage corresponding to customers' needs through a monthly subscription model. The system includes contents management systems and a common distribution platform.

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■About THE KOBE SHIMBUN

Name	THE KOBE SHIMBUN
Representative	Ryutaro Takanashi, President
Location	1-5-7, Higashikawasakicho, Chuo-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture
First published on	February 11, 1898
Business description	Publication of newspapers, etc.
Capital	600 million JPY

■About Digital Signage Solution

			Hitachi Capital: Leasing of hardware and distribution systems of signage,
			process management/supervision of installation work
	Roles		Hitachi Systems, Ltd.: Provision of contents management service
		(cloud service)
			*Kobe Shimbun is in charge of advertising plan development, contents
			management, sales promotion, etc.
			・M-INT KOBE: Large display on the west wall on the third floor
	Locations		・Santica: Wall display
			・Kobe Airport: Display on the arrival floor
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