New Business Alliance Between Azbil and X1Studio Aimed at Expanding the Foreign Data Center Business in Japan
TOKYO, Oct 6, 2023: Azbil Corporation (Head Office: 2-7-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President & Group CEO: Kiyohiro Yamamoto) has announced capital and business alliance agreements with X1Studio Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: 2-2-22 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Founder and President: William Achury). The purpose is to develop their data center business in Japan by combining their respective spheres of expertise, thereby leading to business expansion. In addition to signing a business alliance agreement, Azbil has invested in X1Studio, underwriting the company’s third-party allocation of new shares.
X1Studio supplies total management systems, based on SCADA* system engineering, for data centers in Japan operated by foreign companies. Azbil is a leader in the field of building automation (BA) in Japan, providing monitoring and control systems—building management systems (BMS)—in both domestic and overseas markets.
In Japan, a data center operated by a foreign company typically utilizes the same systems as adopted for the company’s other data centers at home and abroad. This new alliance between X1Studio, supplying foreign SCADA systems, and Azbil, with its proven track record in BA, will thus expand business opportunities in the domestic data center market, whose robust growth is anticipated.
“As we embark on this exciting collaboration, we are committed to shaping the future of data center management,” said William Achury, Founder and President at X1Studio. “Our collaboration with Azbil Corporation reinforces our commitment to delivering transformative solutions that empower businesses to thrive in an increasingly data-centric world.”
“We believe that this alliance with X1Studio will increase the range of solutions we can offer in the data center market, so we can provide even more value to our customers,” stated Kiyohiro Yamamoto, President and Group CEO of Azbil Corporation. “Growth is predicted for this market worldwide, and we intend to use this alliance as a springboard for achieving further business expansion.”
Going forward, as well as expanding into the overseas market for data centers, Azbil and X1Studio will explore potential opportunities to provide new value by leveraging their respective strengths in the field of luxury-hotel guestroom solutions, where X1Studio has been increasing its market presence with its hotelOS software and hardware platform for hotel management.
Guided by the Group philosophy of “human-centered automation,” the azbil Group aims to secure its medium- and long-term development, and to continuously enhance enterprise value, by contributing “in series” to a sustainable society through its business.
Company profiles
- Company name: Azbil Corporation
- Head office: 2-7-3, Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
- Representative: Kiyohiro Yamamoto, President & Group CEO
- Established: December 1, 1906
- Business: Development, production, sales, and servicing of measurement & control equipment
- URL: https://www.azbil.com/
- Company name: X1Studio Co., Ltd.
- Head office: 2-2-22 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
- Representative: William Achury, Founder and President
- Established: September 18, 2020
- Business: Development, sales, and importing of IoT software & hardware; IT consulting
- URL: https://x1studio.co.jp/
*SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) is a computer-based system for the monitoring and control of manufacturing processes and production equipment in plants and factories, as well as for the advanced control of very large buildings.
* Posted information is accurate as of the date of announcement.