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Hitachi Lumada Alliance Strategy Engages Cloud, Enterprise Tech Giants

Hitachi, Ltd. has announced a new global digital innovation program, the Lumada Alliance Program, that will bring together industry-leading companies in an attempt to leverage technology to solve pressing global business, societal and environmental problems. Initial global members on the Lumada Alliance include Amazon Web Services (AWS), Cisco, Google Cloud, Microsoft and Salesforce.

Partners in the Lumada Alliance bring expertise in information technology, operational technology, vertical industries, academia and government to collaborate on digital solutions that deliver economic growth as well as social, environmental and quality of life innovations, according to a statement released by the company.

Lumada Alliance Program: Hitachi, Microsoft, Google, Cisco, AWS, Salesforce Collaboration

The Lumada Alliance Program falls under the umbrella of Hitachi’s Social Innovation Business strategy. Lumada is Hitachi's advanced digital solutions, services and technologies business unit "for turning data into insights to drive digital innovation," according to the company. Its purpose, Hitachi said, is to deliver solutions that increase social, environmental and economic value for customers. The Lumada Alliance program’s goals include creating an ecosystem of partners who can collaborate and share ideas, innovation strategies, technologies and relationships to accelerate economic growth and social innovations, according to the statement.

Hitachi aims to create new value, address business, economic and environmental challenges and resolve social issues in the areas of transportation, energy, health and safety, global trade and supply chains and environmental sustainability, the company said.

The new Lumada Alliance will focus on co-creating digital solutions through partnerships with Lumada Alliance members. The solutions will combine Hitachi’s expertise in IT, energy, mobility, smart life and industry-specific vertical market expertise with the capabilities and technologies of Lumada Alliance members, according to Hitachi.

Going forward, Hitachi will continue to expand the program globally through its digital infrastructure and solutions subsidiary Hitachi Vantara, which plays a key role in serving the worldwide Lumada business, according to the statement.

The Lumada Alliance will include three tiers of partners:

  • Solution providers, who develop, integrate and deliver digital solutions
  • Technology partners, who provide advanced products and technologies for use in developing and managing solutions
  • Innovation partners, who provide deep expertise in vertical industries, government and public infrastructure, and research and development.

Hitachi Lumada Alliance: Executive Commentary

Toshiaki Higashihara, CEO, Hitachi Ltd.
Toshiaki Higashihara, president and CEO, Hitachi Ltd.

Hitachi President and CEO Toshiaki Higashihara announced the new program at Hitachi’s annual Social Innovation Forum event, and said:

“This program will allow us to pursue collaborative creation and build a value-generating ecosystem together with all our diverse partners across industry lines, utilizing the technologies, expertise, and ideas.” said Toshiaki Higashihara, president and chief executive officer, Hitachi Ltd. “This will facilitate a further acceleration of the social innovation. I am convinced that this ecosystem initiative can contribute to solving various social issues and improving people's quality of life, as well as mutual growth. With all our partners who support the vision of this program, we will do our utmost to realize a sustainable and affluent society together.”

The Lumada Alliance will accelerate the convergence of information technology and operational technology, according to Hitachi. As digital technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), smart spaces and edge computing converge with traditional operational and industrial technologies, Hitachi said there's great potential for digital solutions to deliver increased productivity, connected ecosystems and faster innovation, as well as solve economic inequality, environmental concerns and improve people's quality of life worldwide.