TELECOMPUTING IN JAPAN
`
`Database Promotion Center, Japan.
`
`1985 - The First Year of Telecomputing in Japan
`
`Large-scale telecomputing in Japan dates only from 1985, but
`development of electronic mail and bulletin board systems has
`been rapid since then ASCII-NET and Japan Air Lines JALNET
`are described in some detail, along with the many mini
`systems run largely by personal computer enthusiasts.
`
`The world's first experimental bulletin board system (BBS), the
`CBBS/CHICAGO, was started in the United States on February 16, 1978.
`The following year, The Source and CompuServe,
`two large U.S. online
`database services boasting hundreds of thousands
`of users, started to
`offer BBS services to the general public.
`
`Prior to March 31, 1985, there were no companies
`in Japan
`telecomputing servies on a large-scale commercial basis,
`telecomputing there was at that time was being done
`computer
`(PC) enthusiasts on an experimental basis.
`
`carrying out
`What little
`by personel
`
`following the revisions to the Telecommunications
`Business Law
`However,
`and the
`privatization of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public
`Corporation (NTT) on April 1, 1985, PC and users began calling for the
`construction of BBS stations and business enterprises started
`campaigning for the right to commercialize telecomputing systems, which
`they saw as the new form of electronic communications most likely to
`catch on in the future. For these reasons, 1985 has been labelled the
`"First Year of Telecomputing" in Japan.
`
`The revision of the Telecommunications Business law created the basis
`for the development of telecomputing networks in Japan, and BBS
`stations capable of providing electronic mail and electronic bulletin
`board services have been springing up all over the country ever since
`(See Table 1).
`
`these telecomputing systems are operated by individual or
`Not all of
`PC enthusiasts; a number of systems intended for the
`groups of
`commercial market have also been set up here,
`These soon-to-be
`commercialized systems have already boosted the number of password­
`holding telecomputing service users into the tens of thousands. For
`example, the ASCII-NET, a telecomputing system started in May, 1985, by
`the ASH Corporation, one of Japan's leading software houses, had
`attracted more than 4,000 users within four months of being put into
`
`LASIE Vol.17 no.6
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`May/June, 1987
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`(As of February 19861
`
`Individuals or PC Groups
`
`Table 1. Major Telecoeput Ing Systees (PC Networks» Operated by
`
`

`

`operation. Although still in the testing stage, ASCII-NET is Japan's
`largest and most successful telecomputing network. As of February
`1986, there were 12,000 users taking advantage of the services offered
`via ASCII-NET.
`
`Even taking into consideration the fact that there are probably
`numerous telecomputing service users in Japan who subscribe to more
`than one service, it is estimated that there are around 20,000 people
`currently using these services here. And this number is expected to
`continue to grow in the future.
`
`ASCII-NET
`
`The BBS stations offering telecomputing services in Japan consist of
`two major types: those established and operated by companies as part
`of their overall operations, and those set up and run by individuals
`and PC groups.
`
`The company systems include ASCII-NET established by ASCII Corporation;
`JALNET operated by Japan Air Lines Co. Ltd., a system called POPCOM-NET
`established and operated by Shogakkan Publishing Co. Ltd., and JANIS, a
`system offered by Honda Trading Corporation (See Table 2).
`
`Let us take a closer look at ASCII-NET, which within one year of its
`establishment grew to become the largest telecomputing system in Japan.
`ASCII-NET was started up on May 1, 1985. Since then, users have been
`signing up at the incredible rate of 1,000 per month, raising the total
`number of users by the end of February, 1986 to 12,000. These users
`range in age from their low teens to over 60, the average age working
`out to roughly 32.5 years old (See Figure 1). The distribution of
`users within Japan is equally broad in scope. Approximately 60% of
`ASCII-NET users are from Tokyo and surrounding areas (Saitama, Chiba,
`etc.). The next highest concentrations are from the Kinki and Chubu
`regions, respectively, with the remainder of users coming from areas
`scattered throughout Japan.
`
`The ASCII-NET makes use of DEC minicomputers and VAX/785 as its host
`computer, and is expected to enter full-scale commercial operation in
`the near future. At present, however, it is still being test operated,
`this is because ASCII Corporation had no previous experience operating
`telecomputing systems, and it is only through actual test operation
`that it has been able to determine the various forms of utilization
`possible, the optimum safety and security measures and major
`application trends. A sufficiently long test period is necessary to
`gain experience in operating the system and to iron out any technical
`difficulties that exist prior to putting the ASCII-NET into full-scale
`
`LASIE Vol.17 no-6
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`May/June, 1987
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`Epic Games Ex. 1016
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`Epic Games Ex. 1016
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`Major C<aRpany-run Telecomputing Systems
`
`

`

`Figure 1. Breakdown of ASCII-NET Users by Age
`
`LASIE Vol.17 no.6
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`commercial use.
`
`As shown in Table 3, the basic services offered by ASCII-NET include
`communications functions such as electronic mail, electronic bulletin
`boards and electronic conferencing, to which games and database-type
`information services such as general news have been added. Bulletin
`board services are broken down into five major categories: Home,
`network, PC, professional and etcetera. These in turn have been
`further subdivided into genres, called special interest groups (SIGs).
`
`Although ASCII-NET still is not equipped with functions that would
`enable users to interact on a real-time basis with databases stored in
`the host computer, as is possible with America's The Source and
`CompuServe, ASCII Corp, has said it intends to add such functions in
`future, and to steadily expand the system as time goes on.
`
`According to the company, the degree or frequency with which the above
`cited services are being utilized can be roughly broken down three
`ways, with communications services (electronic bulletin board, mail and
`conferencing) accounting for about one third, games accounting for
`. another third and news and other information services making up the
`final one third,
`At present, the company is only making electronic
`available to those users who apply and are granted
`conferencing
`permission to
`carry out such conferences.
`
`JALNET Travel Information System
`
`Whereas ASCII-NET was established as a telecomputing system aimed at
`the general public, Japan Air Lines' JALNET was built for the purpose
`of providing tavel agents with information on Japan Air Lines’ flights
`and related travel information.
`and tours
`
`Japan Air
`Lines stared soliciting for monitors for JALNET back in May
`1984, and
`put the system into test operation beginning on July 1, 1984.
`As of the
`end of 1984, the number of system monitors had reached 300,
`half of which were companies and the other half were individuals,
`Of
`the company monitors, roughly 50% were travel agents.
`By spring of
`1985, the number of monitors had reached the prescribed limit of 1,000.
`Japan Air Lines raised this limit to 10,000 in August of that year,
`revising the ID number and password systems accordingly to handle the
`increased number of users possible. As of the end of 1985, the number
`of monitors testing the system exceeded the 2,000 mark.
`
`The types of information currently being provided as a service of this
`system range from time schedules for both domestic and international
`flights and air fare tables, to JAL World Play Guide information, data
`
`LASIE Vol. 17 no.6
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`
`May/June, 1987
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`1
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`May/June, 1987
`
`{UNIX
`MX DOS
`CP/M—
`0S-9
`[Artificial
`
`iai Languages
`\
`Evaluations
`User
`Free Software
`‘
`Free Software Manuals
`— NETWORK ASCII
`Editors, Writers
`Medical
`Engineers, programmers
`Education
`Marketing personnel
`Etcetera
`Schedule
`Coffee Shop
`
`Table 3. ASCII-NET Map
`
`es
`
`[Mail
`
`News Service
`
`'
`
`| |
`
`Network
`
`PC
`
`|||
`
`| |! |
`
`r Bulletin Board
`
`[~ Books
`
`Games
`
` —
`
`[- Hotbles
`
`Home
`
`[~~ Movie
`Music
`Video
`—_ Animated Cartoons
`Information
`Jointiy-written novels
`Game Club
`PMB
`Puzzles
`Monthly Log-in PMB
`[__ Astronomy
`Cor & Bike
`Gambling
`Ham Redlo
`[__ Outdoors
`___ Sports
`Travel
`:
`~_ Aviation/Space Travel
`[~~ Food
`L__ Lifestyles
`Pets
`
`~ New Boards
`Info on Other Networks
`O8A
`System Information
`Bug Info
`
`os
`
`Intel tigance
`
`Professional
`
`Etcetera
`
`|
`
`|
`
`Room 1 "Guide to Other Conterence Rooms”
`"Considering Networks"
`Conterence Roon3"Hacker's Conference”
`
`Room4“Japanese and Computers”
`Room
`Room
`Room
`Room
`Room 9 "Role Playing Game"
`L_ ZokeRogue
`=
`Chess
`Backgammon
`Canfletd
`
`
`
`~ Filer
`
`~ Old Bulletin Board
`
`System
`
`Source - Japan Computer Quarter ty
`
`LASIE Vol.17 no.6
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`Epic Games Ex. 1016
`Epic Games Ex. 1016
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`on international trade fairs being held in major cities around the
`world, as well as conferences, trade fairs and other events being held
`within Japan. JALNET information also includes such things as local
`data on various cities worldwide, travel guides put out by the
`government travel bureaus of various nations, information on special
`JALPAK tours and advice
`on overseas travel, plus worldwide temperatures
`and weather conditions
`for the past one-week period, domestic
`weather
`on the foreign exchange
`reports and information
`market.
`
`Two-way communication
`services made available
`by this system
`include
`electronic mail and electronic bulletin boards,
`is also
`The JAL system
`offering on a test basis a ticket reservation service for overseas
`events, plus another reservation service that allows interested buyers
`to place advance orders for fresh fruits imported by the company.
`Information on reserved seats and vacancies for both domestic and
`international flights is also being made available through the system,
`and Japan Air Lines plans to begin offering a home reservation service
`within the next six months. All services provided via JALNET are
`offered 24-hours around the clock.
`
`Mini Systems
`
`The telecomputing systems in Japan being operated by business
`enterprises are either being used as a part of the companies'
`advertising operations, or are still being tested in preparation for
`future commercialization. Therefore, with the exception of application
`and entrance fees, operating companies are not charging for the right
`to use their systems. Most of these soon-to-be commercialized systems
`are expected to have their database and other information functions
`enhanced in the very near future, and to be equipped with a variety of
`other functions that will enable real-time communications, just as is
`possible with their American predecessors, The Source and CompuServe.
`
`On the other side of the coin, there has also been a proliferation of
`grass-roots BBS type telecomputing systems for the most part that are
`not designed as money-making operations. As stated earlier, these
`systems are being run by individuals and PC groups. The host computers
`are generally 8- or 16-bit PC’s accessed by users over ordinary
`telephone lines, thus making them very small in scale.
`
`The
`service menus offered by these mini telecomputing systems consist
`the most part of electronic mail and bulletin boards. Only a very
`for
`few
`stations also possess functions that allow user PC's to "chat" with
`another in real time. Nevertheless, these small, grass-roots
`one
`systems are being operated and utilized with a zest and zeal not found
`in the large, company-operated systems.
`
`=1
`
`LASIE Vol.17 no.6
`
`129
`
`May/June, 1987
`
`Epic Games Ex. 1016
`Page 8
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`