Fujitsu establishes new dedicated digital consulting unit Ridgelinez

Tokyo-headquartered technology giant Fujitsu has announced the creation of a dedicated digital consulting unit – to be called Ridgelinez. 

Japanese multinational ICT giant Fujitsu is set to launch a dedicated full-service digital consultancy with a focus on advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, cloud and 5G. Dubbed Ridgelinez, and due to officially commence operations from the beginning of April, the new digital advisory will be run by senior Strategy& recruit Toshiya Imai in the role of president.

“As the vanguard for the Fujitsu Group’s DX business, Ridgelinez will spearhead and further accelerate the development of new opportunities for growth in this exciting commercial frontier,” stated a press release. “With a new, more nimble business framework, the company will possess the flexibility and mobility vital to fully delivering on the promise of DX for enterprises small and large alike.”

Ridgelinez – named for the contours and crests of a mountain landscape in an effort to evoke “new heights in business” – is being described as a comprehensive, one-stop DX service curation offering, with the new enterprise planning to tap into a network of alliance partners beyond its own proprietary technology to “select the most appropriate products and services to support its customers’ DX journeys.”

To aid in its ambitious goals, the market entrant also intends to assemble a diverse and exceptional team, with new personnel and compensation systems to be introduced in a bid to attract prospective top talent. The first to be announced is thirty-year consulting industry veteran Toshiya Imai, who will cross from PwC/Strategy& to take up a role as president – having once previously served at Fujitsu.

Presently serving as a Senior Partner and Vice President of PwC Consulting out of Tokyo, Imai has been with Booz & Company/Strategy& since 2010, prior to which he served for five years as a partner at Bain & Company – co-heading the MBB firm’s Telecom, Media & Technology business in Japan. Earlier, he was a Vice President at SAP Japan, and North Asia TMT leader for Booz Allen Hamilton (Japan).

Imai is the second Strategy& stalwart selected to head up a new consulting enterprise in a matter of days, following the recruitment of former Paris-based vice president and two-decade company veteran Benoit Romac as the CEO for Porsche Consulting’s new office in France. Meanwhile, the digital space in Japan is also witnessing heightened activity among the country’s leading multinational tech giants.

Last month, Hitachi rolled its consulting brand into a new-look Hitachi Vantara – aimed at creating a digital transformation powerhouse with a global 12,000-strong headcount of advisors and experts – while Indian IT giant Infosys last year finalised a joint venture with Hitachi and Panasonic focused on digital procurement solutions. Accenture last year also launched a digital-focused hub in Fukuoka.

“Amid rapid changes in the global business environment, disruptions that transcend existing industries and business paradigms have created a need for swift and drastic change,” Fujitsu concluded in a press statement. “While providing end-to-end digital transformation support, this new venture will also promote the creation and management of innovative businesses together with its customers.”