News

Rikei Corporation (Head Office: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Satoru Isaka; hereinafter “Rikei”) would like to announce that it has started to sell its new receiver for J-ALERT.

Background

J-ALERT (a national early warning system) is a system through which the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications sends emergency information to protect the public (information about ballistic missiles, etc.), tsunami warnings, and early earthquake warnings via a communications satellite (from the Cabinet Secretariat and the Meteorological Agency through the Fire and Disaster Management Agency) to official disaster radios of local governments, which are automatically activated to instantaneously send emergency information from the national government to residents. In 2003, Rikei proposed this system to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, which has operated until now.

Rikei was involved in the Fire and Disaster Management Agency’s experiment in Geisei-mura, Kochi Prefecture (2004) and demonstration experiments in 31 locations nationwide (2006), and distributed satellite system receivers to about 700 local governments in 2007. Rikei has developed, marketed, and provided maintenance for J-ALERT receivers and automatic activation devices starting with their simultaneous national implementation in 2011.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency has updated the specifications of this hardware and released software for this update. In response, Rikei has developed and manufactured a new receiver for the first time in five years.

New Product Outline

For the development of the new receiver, we prioritized high-speed data analysis /processing for the J-ALERT system as part of the requirements for the emergency alert receiver in situations such as a large-scale natural disaster or a ballistic missile under severe time constraints and, like our current receiver, we adopted a design in which the satellite receiver and the analysis/processing server are separate. By utilizing the latest high-performance server, we achieved high-speed processing.

With this design, we have enabled faster and more accurate cooperation for “multi-transmission methods” of disaster prevention information, which we have worked on with each local government since 2011. As a result, faster transmission of information is possible, including exterior speakers and multilingual registration emails, radio broadcast interruption, television broadcast subtitle interruption, and digital signage.

Data Analysis/Processing with a High-Performance Server

Since we received many requests to be able to receive and check weather alerts, which have been increasing in recent years due to climate change, not only in the room or an office where the receiver is installed, but also in a night watchman’s room, etc. on another floor, we provide a high-performance analysis/processing server where the processing speed is not affected even when five or more client computers are connected. From the built-in speakers of these client computers, the user can set the system to broadcast the audio information from J-ALERT, enabling the transmission of more detailed information.

Line of Multiple Analysis/Processing Servers

These days, since the receiver is increasingly used in severe conditions, such as controlling a water gate, we provide a line of multiple products where users can choose the analysis/processing server according to their needs for the new receiver. With this lineup, users who have used an “all-in-one receiver” up to now can introduce and install this new “separate receiver” even in a limited space.

Features

• Separation of the satellite receiver and the analysis/processing server
  Achieved high maintainability and reliability
• High-speed analysis/processing server
  Achieved high-speed “multi-transmission methods” of disaster prevention information
• Line of multiple analysis/processing servers
  Enabled a choice of analysis/processing servers according to needs

Future Plans

• Planning to present the new receiver for J-ALERT at the Security & Safety Trade Expo 2016 (October 19 to 21)
• Seek a partner for the future expansion of the market share (to be determined in November)

Date of Shipment

Around October 2016

Estimated sales volume

1st year: 10 units
2nd year: 1,000 units
3rd year: 500 units

Planned price

1. New receiver for J-ALERT (MRJA2000)
   Configuration: Satellite receiver + analysis/processing server (3 types with different configurations)
   ・Type A (Minimum configuration model) 540,000 yen (including tax)
   ・Type B (Standard configuration model) 1,300,000 yen (including tax)
   ・Type C (High-performance configuration model) 1,670,000 yen (including tax)

* The “separate receiver” consists of two units (the satellite receiver and the analysis/processing server) that function together as the receiver for J-ALERT.

* This price includes 8% consumption tax. This price is subject to change when the consumption tax rate is changed.

* The planned price is subject to change due to changes in purchase terms and conditions or social conditions. If you are considering purchasing the new receiver, we will provide a price estimate.

2. Operation cost (approximate calculation)
   ・Ancillary equipment: 800,000 yen or more (including tax)
   ・Replacement operation, multiple connection tests: 1,700,000 yen or more (including tax)

* The above operation cost (approximate calculation) may vary depending on the existing system configuration. An official estimate will be separately provided.

Voice-plus (option: 45,000 yen or more (including tax))

• We have started to sell an ultra-compact PC with a speaker to extend the audio information from J-ALERT onto the LAN network.
• The ultra-compact PC with the speaker can be used when the user wants to monitor (broadcast) the audio information from a location away from the J-ALERT receiver.
• The maximum number that can be used is 12 for unicast operation (depending on the network speed). There is no limit for multicast operations.

About sales of JAK-1000

We will terminate the sales of JAK-1000, our existing receiver for J-ALERT, upon the launch of this new receiver. In addition, we plan to terminate maintenance support for JAK-1000 by the end of August 2019.

About Rikei Corporation

Established in 1957, Rikei Corporation is a solution provider for the IT and electronics industries.
Rikei offers a wide variety of solutions centered on the world’s cutting edge technologies and advanced products in the fields of system solutions, such as entrance exam and educational affairs systems and IT infrastructure, business strategy, and information security solutions. It also provides network solutions, such as satellite communication data transfer systems, digital video transfer systems, network systems for telecommunication operators and other private companies, wireless access systems, and disaster management information systems. In addition to solutions, Rikei provides electronic components and devices, such as high frequency components, high performance adhesives for industrial use, testers for automotive audio and navigation equipment, power grid analysis systems, defense-related machinery and security systems.

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