Nippon Express USA, Inc. maintains and manages the following IT infrastructure, policies and services to support logistics operations worldwide.

Data Center & Network
Physical Systems
To achieve 24/7 system availability, Nippon Express USA, Inc. has been operating its enterprise systems at a data center within an IBM e-Business Hosting Center since June 2004.  This IBM facility also hosts data centers for major government agencies, banking and securities firms, and other major companies. The redundant power systems, security and other critical services are world class.  All of the essential Nippon Express USA servers and systems supporting our Logistic Business are protected from down-time by fully redundant servers and extensive service agreements.

Comprehensive Data Communications Network
A centrally-managed data communications network connects the enterprise data center with business locations across the USA (49), Canada (7), and Mexico (3).  Mid-to-Large sized offices have separate back-up networks, so that the core operations would not be affected even if there were outages in the main network.  If any kind of massive disaster should ever disable the enterprise data center, all office locations can be swiftly rerouted to a standby BCRS (Business Continuity & Recovery Service) center contracted with IBM.

System Security
Nippon Express USA, Inc. has made significant investments to provide robust systems with enhanced security for internal networks, at all network perimeters, and in data exchanges with customers on external networks.  All network access that traverses between internal and external networks, such as EDI with clients, Web, FTP and VPN are routed through redundant enterprise-class firewalls managed and monitored by IBM at the e-Business Hosting Center. Perimeter security is controlled using a sophisticated design of multiple DMZ. Routine security tests (external hacking) and IDS (Intrusion Detection Systems) are provided by IBM.

Countermeasures against natural calamities
Business Continuity & Recovery Services (BCRS) are provided by IBM. It was utilized for continuous business operations after the terrorism-related disruptions of September 11.  In addition, the time required to switch from the primary data center to the BCRS-hosted data center has been shortened as a result of the vastly improved enterprise network design.

EDI with customers
Nippon Express currently operates EDI connections with approximately 150 customers, government agencies, and financial institutions. The range of message types is extensive, including content related to Cargo Statuses, Billing Invoices, Shipping-related messages, etc.  Data exchange networks vary from VAN networks, dedicated VPN connections, FTP, and Web. Data exchange standards include ANSI X12, EDIFACT, XML, and others.

Global Logistic Business System
At the core of our Global Logistic Business is a suite of applications, most of which have been developed and maintained in-house. Where appropriate, top-tier vendor packages have been purchased and modified to provide efficient, comprehensive and up-to-date functionality. They provide a standard foundation for all Nippon Express companies worldwide.These application systems are jointly developed across the global IT development centers of Nippon Express to correspond to changes in business requirements in a timely manner. New software releases are distributed and implemented with strict change-management procedures to ensure smooth interoperation between all segments of the global operations.