The Information Sharing Laboratory Group is vigorously undertaking R&D into network infrastructure, which is essential to providing ubiquitous broadband services. The Laboratory Group consists of five Laboratories: the Service Integration Laboratories, which work on network architecture and quality; the Information Sharing Platform Laboratories, which conduct R&D into platforms that enable customers to use the network safely, securely and conveniently; the Network Service Systems Laboratories, which focus on R&D into node systems for providing network services and large-capacity backbone networks; the Access Network Service Systems Laboratories, which pursue R&D into FTTH and wireless systems; and the Energy and Environment Systems Laboratories, which is engaged in R&D into environmental ICT and energy systems.

Recently, with information communication technology playing an increasingly important role in our daily lives and economic activities, there has been an intensification of society's expectations and demands regarding networks. People have begun to find it natural to expect not only to be connected to the network anytime but also to be connected from anywhere to anyone or anything safely and securely.

To respond to these changes in the conditions and expectations of society, the NTT Group has begun to provide Next Generation Network (NGN) services. They represent the crystallization of the technologies owned by NTT Laboratories. The launch of these services represents a great step towards the realization of a ubiquitous broadband society. By fully exploiting the high reliability and expandability of this leading-edge network, a rich array of convenient services can be provided.

The Information Sharing Laboratory Group is aiming to make new network services a reality by engaging in a broad range of activities from leading-edge research to commercial development in numerous fields, from core network technologies for upgrading the NGN, to technologies that enable the network to be used more conveniently, easily, safely and securely. In addition, the Laboratory Group is undertaking R&D into new services that aim to build a more congenial and safer society by creating new value and dealing with social challenges, such as the aging of society and declining birthrate and the need to strengthen nursing care. To contribute to the protection of the global environment as a member of the local community and society at large, we also emphasize activities intended to deal with environmental problems, such as the development of technologies to provide information communication services that impose less of an environmental burden and technologies to apply ICT in order to help improve the environment.

In pursuing our daily R&D activities, we will keep in mind our profound responsibility for building the new future society with our own hands, and at the same time relish the opportunity to contribute to the innovation of society. As researchers and developers we will have grand aspirations.

(October 1st, 2011)

Director, Information Sharing Laboratory Group
Kiyosumi Kobayashi