NEC to establish Myanmar office in January 2013

NEC will expand into Myanmar in anticipation of demand for building information technology infrastructure as more Japanese manufacturers and retailers move into the Southeast Asian nation, reports The Nikkei.

In a statement Wednesday, Shin Sakamoto, general manager for greater China and Asia-Pacific sales division at NEC, said the company has been contributing to Myanmar’s communications infrastructure for 35 years, providing telephone switchboards, wireless equipment, satellite ground stations, and broadcasting systems.

“In the future, NEC aims to continue responding to local needs and strengthening regional business through the provision of international communication networks such as submarine cable systems, ICT infrastructure for industrial parks, disaster prevention systems, security systems, e-government systems, and mass-market products such as servers,” Sakamoto said.

The Japanese IT vendor also has plans to open another branch office in the city of Naypyidaw as part of its ongoing commitment to developing ICT technologies in the country. NEC said Myanmar is in need of infrastructure improvement to support its expected rapid economic growth, with just 3 percent of its population of 62 million having a fixed or mobile telephone line subscription. It added, by 2015, the Myanmar government aims to raise this figure by as much as 50 percent, driving improvements in banking and IT systems.

Emerging after years of isolation and military rule, Myanmar recently has been opening up to political and economic reforms, as well as foreign businesses and investment.

Other global IT vendors have either expressed interest or established a presence in Myanmar. Earlier this month, NTT Data, the IT services arm of Japan’s NTT Group, opened an offshore development center in Yangoon and also provides ICT solutions for the country’s infrastructure such as traffic control and monitoring in transportation.