Japanese device manufacturer I-O DATA DEVICE’s business expansion with Ubuntu Pro for Devices

I-O DATA has entered into a partnership with Canonical, aimed at bringing the benefits of open source and Ubuntu to thousands of devices across Japan. I-O DATA will now ship its hardware with Ubuntu pre-installed, and is now an official reseller of Ubuntu Pro for Devices, a subscription that provides 10 years of security maintenance for the OS and applications, as well as device management capabilities.

Open source is where innovation happens

Open source is very much the standard for modern software development, but new regulations like the Cyber Resilience Act are making stringent security practices paramount. With businesses making more use of AI, which requires both high computational power and commitment to regulatory demands, it’s becoming increasingly unsustainable to rely on unsupported open source.

Ubuntu’s widespread community adoption and solid enterprise use cases make it an ideal common denominator system for organisations looking to unify and streamline their operations. Ubuntu Pro for Devices takes this even further, by offering subscription-based support for up to 10 years, for over 30,000 open source packages – including common frameworks like ROS and developer toolchains like Go and Python. This bold step by I-O DATA is a clear sign of commitment to offering their customers the tools they need to thrive in a competitive digital environment, by making Ubuntu devices more widely available.

“By using Ubuntu, IT professionals in Japanese organisations can enhance their foundational skills. This will eventually lead to the development of advanced OS, cloud, security and other essential IT technologies and services that will bolster Japan’s industries across various sectors and restore its global competitiveness. I believe this will herald a new golden age for Japan.” – Daiyuu Nobori (Researcher at Industrial Cyber Security Center, Information-technology Promotion Agency from 2017, Special Employee of NTT-East from 2020)

Widening horizons with a robust OS

By making use of Ubuntu Pro for Devices, I-O DATA is offering its customers a robust OS with a track record of high-performance in novel situations. Ubuntu is already used across industries as diverse as automotive, education, space engineering and medical. I-O DATA intends to take Ubuntu to companies across these spaces, with an initial target of 800 million yen for the first year.

“We expect to be able to provide effective AI image analysis services in a more stable environment through the use of Ubuntu appliances as network edge devices in addition to the network cameras we currently use.” – Masaya Kawase, Director, Customer Contact Point Digitalization Support Division, Business Management Division, OPTiM Corp.

An initiative welcomed by I-O Data’s partners

“We have grown to serve over 40,000 units in the domestic digital signage market. We owe this success to our long-standing cooperative relationship with I-O DATA Device. We are currently developing an innovative set-top box for digital signage that is powered by Ubuntu. We hope that this commitment will contribute to the further growth of your business”. – Yasuo Fukunaga, President and Representative Director, Cyberstation, Inc.

I-O DATA intends to engage multiple partners in order to increase the number of hardware options available to them, such as NPU installed models that run AI on the network edge. In addition to the partners already mentioned, I-O DATA has engaged ORCA Management Organization (responsible for all patient data in Japan) and Software Research Associates (SRA), a technology consultancy organisation that has been heavily involved in the provision of Japanese language support services for Ubuntu.

I-O DATA hopes to deepen their partnership with Canonical as this initiative takes off, as they appeal to organisations that are already using Ubuntu, as well as new prospects who are looking to move away from the difficulties of closed source code.

About I-O DATA

I-O DATA DEVICE, INC., is a top-tier manufacturer and provider of high-quality computer peripherals and interface products to the global consumer and OEM markets. Founded in 1976, by Mr. Akio Hosono, I-O DATA has received recognition as Japan’s undisputed market leader within the PC Peripheral industry. I-O DATA is not only a manufacturer of such devices, but handles the design, development and production of the products.

About Canonical

Canonical, the publisher of Ubuntu, provides open source security, support and services. Our portfolio covers critical systems, from the smallest devices to the largest clouds, from the kernel to containers, from databases to AI. With customers that include top tech brands, emerging startups, governments and home users, Canonical delivers trusted open source for everyone.

Learn more at https://canonical.com/