Tadao Saito
Chairman
Multimedia Promotion Forum

It is widely acknowledged that information technology (IT) , is the source of all of technological developments in recent years. IT creates value in broad range of life style and work style. Technology prevail itself by creating values and catching acceptance of society. Multimedia Promotion Forum has been discussing IT intensively and extensively, from basics to applications, along with their social impacts exploring how technology may find its way into society,. We consider it most important to be able to cover a wide spectrum of interests, and share a comprehensive vision, so as to ensure a growing and dynamic society in the 21st century.
In more than ten years of our activities, we have held over 300 meetings featuring various topics on communication technologies such as FTTH, PHS, internet, ADSL, wireless LAN, and IMT-2000; on services such as flat rate communications, phone number portability, and carrier pre-selection system “Myline”; and on application technologies such as e-commerce and VoIP. Thanks to a broad participation of the industry, the academia, the government, and the political world, we are proud that we have been able to make great contributions in letting these technologies gain a significant foothold in society.

While the use of communication network had historically been restricted to the telephone, until late 1990s, data communication, notably the Internet, are taking over. As a result, we have witnessed fundamental changes in the information and communication technology, in business approaches, and in the workstyle and lifestyle of the people.
As for subscriber lines, low-cost broadband services such as the ADSL, cable Internet, and FTTH have rapidly been penetrating. Infrastructural networks have shifted away from the telephone to the Internet. High-speed routers are replacing the circuit-switches.
In the mobile communications arena, the packet-based technologies first applied in the second generation mobile services have made great development in the IMT-2000 systems, and a scenario of “beyond 3G” is already taking shape. In terms of networks, subscriber lines, long distance lines, and even the wireless network are undergoing a significant and vital transformation.
And now, as we move closer to the dawning of a ubiquitous network society, our expectations are higher than ever. Using the concept of ubiquitous computing, we can utilize the numerous data processors in the network, which is a radical change from when we could only use processors in a personal computer.

Today, in the age of information, more and more industries are progressively heading towards computerization. Further in the 2000s, the economy is again vitalized due to growth in the information and communication technology. Whether we can take another step forward, solely depends on whether technology takes root in society.

New information and communication technologies can only progress when they gain widespread acceptance in society. And so in order for our country to thrive further in the 21st century, we must be able to share our ideas with a variety of different people and to establish a common understanding.

To achieve this mission, the forum has assembled a team of some outstanding figures as our advisors, our promoters, and members of the steering committee.
In view of a “successful realization of the coming multimedia environment”, and a “sound development of the multimedia industry”, we hope to encourage a wide participation from all fields and all sectors, and serve as a platform for free exchange and discussions.