Thales today announced a significant business cooperation agreement with Japanese secure network provider Hucom, Incorporated.

The agreement sees Hucom promoting the Thales Datacryptors® in the Japanese marketplace. The partnership will primarily focus on clients within the Japanese government and defence industry where Hucom will explore potential Datacryptor business. The Datacryptor line of encryption de vice s allows commercial, government and defence organizations to take advantage of flexible and cost-effective public networks to interconnect operations while protecting the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive or classified information.

The two companies will offer the Japanese government and defence markets a complete family of Thales Datacryptor products including DCAP (Datacryptor Advanced Performance), SONET (Synchronous Optical Network) and Gigabit Ethernet, providing customers with products and ser vice s for high-bandwidth security solutions, whilst offering high level of sales and technical support.

Over the last 25 years, Thales has provided encryption products to meet complex Government Link, Frame Relay, IP and other network security requirements and has delivered over 60,000 encryption products to government and commercial customers worldwide, including, in the USA, key Federal Government Agencies and most recently shipments of SONET encryptors to elements of the Department of Defence.

Hucom was established in 1986 when it introduced high-speed modem and fiber channel Technology to Japan . With the shift of its core business to network security in 1996, it has continued introducing innovative, cutting edge products. The company has been a founding member of the Japan Security Network Association (JNSA) since 2000. It has been very successful in the government and defence markets in Japan . The company also works for METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) government departments and has been recognised by METI for its research and development for fiber channel and intrusion detections technology.

Yoichi Inoue, C.E.O. President of Hucom, Incorporated, said: "We are delighted to be partnering with Thales to offer its outstanding product lines to the Japanese market. The Datacryptor DCAP, SONET and Gigabit Ethernet offer customers robust and reliable security. Thales’ expertise and reliability give us the greatest confidence that the Japanese market will benefit from their products and make it an important partner for us."

Thales provides a complete network security and information assurance solution with its Datacryptor product family: DCAP, SONET and Gigabit Ethernet. DCAP is a high-speed encryption product, specifically designed to allow the benefits of IP networking to be fully realized whilst meeting the highest security standards such as FIPS and CAPS.

SONET and Gigabit Ethernet applications allows high-speed transfer of large amounts of time sensitive video, voice and data without ser vice degradation. The Datacryptor SONET and Gigabit Ethernet encrypt traffic traversing these networks in real-time, securing the most demanding ser vice requirements and protecting the confidentiality and integrity of the data with the strongest commercially available cryptography.

Thales has experienced considerable success in Japan with the sale and integration of its P3 smart card EMV solution. It is the market leader within the financial sector and is looking to replicate this success with its Datacryptor products.

Richard Mallett, Asia Pacific Managing Director of Thales e-Security Asia Pacific, added: “Our work and associations with Hucom in the past give us the greatest confidence that we have chosen the right partner in Japan . With our encryption experience and products and past work with the government, we are excited about what the future holds. We look forward to a long relationship to showcase the strength of Thales’ offerings.”

Thales is being recognised for its innovative, industry-leading Datacryptors ® product line and was the recipient of the 2005 Frost & Sullivan Technology Leadership Award in the field of high-speed commercial encryption technology.

 About Thales
Thales is an international electronics and systems group, serving defence, aerospace, services and security markets. The group employs 60,000 people worldwide and generated revenues of €10.3 billion in 2004.

Operating in three main markets covering e-security, card payment and network security, Thales’ e-security activities address the business, government and finance industries’ need for cryptographic security products and solutions. Over half of the world’s banks, together with the majority of the busiest exchanges, currently use Thales technology. Thales dominates the Banking and Finance sectors, securing over 70% of all payment transactions globally.

For more than 20 years the company has been at the forefront of security and payment technology, co-operating and contributing to set the industry standards used for financial transactions and e-commerce globally. Thales’ e-security business offers a wide range of security solutions to protect Government and Defence critical information infrastructures, thereby positioning the company as a leading worldwide supplier of certified network security products.

About Hucom, Incorporated
Hucom is a Total Solution Provider for Secure Networks, offering secure network system integrations and operations in accordance with the security policy. The company has received high reputation and credibility from network security intensive organization like financial institutions and Government and other enterprises.

Hucom provides users and customers one-stop with adequate products, support and services for system’s construction, maintenance and operation. Hucom also offers network security consultation and training to defend customer’s information property.

Visit www.hucom.co.jp/english/company/index.html

Press Contact:
Ida Law
Thales e-Security
+852 2534 6629
ida.law@thales-esecurity.com

Emma Smith
The Consultancy Ltd.
+852 3114 6336
emith@consultancy-pr.com.hk

Press Contact for Hucom:
Takeshi Yoshida
Hucom, Inc.
+81 3 5306 7338
tyoshida@hucom.co.jp