OpenLab (New Business Co-creation Program)

Concept

What is Open Lab?

"Open Lab" is a program for taking on the challenge of creating new business through collaboration between NTT Communications and our partners.
We aim to create (co-create) new business and services by bringing together, integrating, and mutually enhancing the ideas, technologies, and products of our partners with the environment, facilities, and technological expertise of NTT Communications.

Program overview

NTT Communications collaborates with participating partners to launch business and services.
NTT Communications leases the following resources.

Virtual server resources

Resources are available in Sapporo and other regional sites to enable the verification of the impact on quality of geographical distance, etc., making it possible to change settings in a flexible manner.
We provide the same commercial resources as those used in Biz Hosting Basic, one of NTT Communications' IaaS services.
If these resources are used, they can be migrated directly to commercial services after completion of the program.

North American cloud resources

The same cloud resources as those provided by NTT America,etc., are available, making it possible to conduct verification across the Pacific Ocean and consider deployment in the North American market from Japan.

Connection

We also handle VPN connections between the end users of our partners and cloud servers, etc.

Human resources

NTT Communications staff members participate in the project in accordance with discussions with the partner, providing support ranging from platform construction and configuration to inquiries and proposals to our business and sales divisions.

Flow of the program (As a rule, 6 months from program start to completion)

The process begins with the partner's application for participation. Selection is made after joint refinement of the idea and implementation plan for the application contents.
For accepted projects, a gratis joint testing agreement is concluded, and efforts are made to launch business and services, with a date 6 months in the future as the target.
Further, meetings to report on the results are held at the beginning, middle, and end of the project.
To make it an opportunity for business matching as well, a wide range of outside organizations are invited to the report meetings, in addition to other NTT Communications departments and sections.

Conditions for participation

As a rule, applicants for participation must be (venture) companies that have corporate status.
Individuals who wish to participate should contact us separately. Selection is made based on the newness and potential for development of the project, as well as the compatibility with NTT Communications business, etc.
Unlike a mere forum for technological verification, this program is for the purpose of launching business and services.
If our partners are able to take responsibility to recruit end users (customers, etc.) on their own, we recommend doing so from the beginning of the program.