Today, as the global economy further intertwines, the US and Japanese technology sectors have become curiously symbiotic.  We often see new technologies hitting the Japanese market first, and if successful, making its way to American consumers.  U.S.  software and hardware also often finds its way into Akihabara storefront displays after a successful domestic debut.  Although this two-way tech channel often works out in the favor of both markets, it sometimes proves difficult for each country’s technology to penetrate the complex cultural and economic barriers.

I’d like to take an opportunity to examine several recent examples of successful and unsuccessful cross-pollinations between the Japanese and American technology industries.  If I leave anything out, feel free to chirp in with your own comments!

Prius: The Toyota Prius provides an incredible story of a product that perhaps will end up doing better in a foreign market than it did in its originator country.  Especially in California and the tech-hotbed of Silicon Valley, the Prius has become a symbol of Eco-conscious living, cutting edge technology and youthful thinking.

Just take a drive to Google’s Mountain View campus, where dozens of Prius cars are plugged into designated ‘charge’ spots.  Even Sergey Brin, one of the search giant’s founders, drives a Prius.  This is an example of a technology making the overseas transition with fluidity and efficiency.

iPhone: The iPhone is a prime example of a genius product that has sold like hotcakes in the US and Europe, but failed to crack the Japanese market.  Many attribute the iPhone’s poor sales to the Japanese consumer’s selectivity in mobile phone choice.

Japan is often pushing the mobile boundaries with high-tech video and voice features that the iPhone lacks.  The iPhone also is a high-price monthly option compared to many of the other Japanese carriers.

Facebook: Facebook is  example of something lost in translation between Silicon Valley and Tokyo.  Japan’s most popular social network remains Mixi, which holds over 80% of Japanese social network users.  Although Facebook was able to gain a large portion of European users, Japanese social networkers remain loyal to similar previously standing sites.

There are a number of complex cultural differences that also make Facebook a bad option for Japanese users.  For example, many Japanese prefer to register an online account under  a pseudonym or nick-name, rather than a real first and last name as Facebook requires.

Cisco Hardware: Cisco Systems, the Silicon Valley network hardware giant, has made leaps and bounds in providing network infrastructure solutions for Japanese companies.  Over the past several years, Cisco has steadily been expanding in the Japanese high tech arenas through video collaboration and unified computing solutions.   Japanese companies are fast adopting Cisco’s new ‘Solution-Centric’ distribution model that will accelerate their ability for network use through integrated cisco hardware

If Cisco continues on its current path in Japan, it will definitly prove to be a US – Japanese technology success story.

It’s a relief that Clearwire, the primary mover of 4G WiMax technology, has announced a partnership with Cisco Systems.  Cisco has been known to be a company that puts it’s money where it’s mouth is and delivers products in a timely and efficient manner.  The addition of Cisco as a partner to create WiMax equipment should speed up the initiative as a whole.   Cisco will be charged with building new mobile WiMax devices for CLEAR 4G consumers, small offices as well as the small and medium-sized business arenas.

From Cisco’s Newsroom:

“By teaming with Cisco, one of the world’s most forward-looking IP network infrastructure providers, we’re building a robust and cost-efficient next-generation network that’s designed specifically for delivering rich broadband services,” said Scott Richardson, Chief Strategy Officer of Clearwire. “In addition, Cisco plans to develop WiMAX technology for end-user devices, which will give consumers and businesses more compelling ways to stay connected through our CLEAR 4G service.”

Just to recap for those who have been missing for the past two years:  3G is the network technology that is touted every five minutes on a cell phone commercial for Sprint, Verizon, AT&T,  and every other carrier with the capital for a 30 second spot.  The big carriers try to one up each other with claims of the most far reaching network or the largest capacity for data transfer.  In reality, 3G networks still have quite a few holes in their nationwide plans and the data transfer almost never actually reaches the touted 1-2 mbps downstream speeds.

3G networks have never truly been an end-goal, but rather an in-between state between anchored broadband and next generation technologies like WiMax.  Sure – you can check your email, get directions and even watch a video or two on your iPhone or via your cellular broadband card.   Utilizing the 3G networks has always been a compromise though, it’s never quite as fast or reliable as a land connection.  There is always the sigh of relief when you connect to your home or office’s wireless network.

We’ve been in  limbo; to be fully productive citizens of the Internet, we need our 4G technologies.   Nationwide WiMax will open up the doors to overdue features like full-fledged cell phone video conferencing capabilities.  Cisco is the perfect partner to manufacture the networking hardware necessary for this next leap in human connectivity.  They already have the record of success for developing the routers and switches for our prior generation of networking needs.  Used Cisco hardware has proliferated the market for a reason- it is well built and made to work efficiently.

“Around the globe, mobile WiMAX providers continue to make great strides bringing 4G mobile Internet services to market, and we are pleased that Clearwire has selected Cisco to help un-tether its Internet customers across the United States while delivering high performance,” said Brett Galloway, senior vice president, wireless and security technology group of Cisco.

There are several large network hardware vendors out there, and it can often be confusing to decide which brand to buy.  Do you want a Cisco router, a Juniper router, or a Nortel router?  What brand network switch or sever should your company purchase? Each specific company provides a huge amount of detail/advertising on why you should pick their solution.  I decided to congeal some of these product details and provide an overall list of features that  your company should be looking for in their enterprise networking hardware.

No matter what type of business vertical you are in, or where you are running your company from, networking hardware is a critical aspect of your business.  The five key features your network hardware and network infrastructure should provide  are:

• Simplicity: A network product and OS that is extremely simple, logical, and easy to operate will make everyone’s life easier.  Network hardware that is simple in installation and execution, but provides the infrastructure for complex company communication, is a must have.
• Security: Your enterprise data is your company’s most valuable resource.  Whether it be client data, financial data, or intellectual property data, it is extremely important that your network provides the protection and access control for this data.  Your brand of Network hardware can mean the difference between an occasional  security breach and a perfect record of protection.
• Speed: It is vital that your enterprise network is running at the speed of your business.  It should never hinder your company’s work flow, whether it be accessing data within your company’s network or at global access level.  The network equipment that you utilize is the engine that runs your entire company’s network infrastructure.
• Scalability: It is very important that your network be scalable with your company’s growth and downsizing.  A network that is not scalable can incur unnecessary cost for your company and unwanted hardship on enterprise efficiency.    Scalability means a network infrastructure that offers open source flexibility- the ability for your company to not be locked-in to one specific solution, but instead posses the capability to utilize the best market technology available.
• Savings: Maintaining a network infrastructure can often be a very costly process, and can tip a company’s earnings in one direction or the other.  Finding network hardware that is both cheap and reliable is quite the difficult task.  Depending on where you look, buying a used cisco router or refurbished cisco switch can sometimes mean the difference in simplicity, security, speed AND scalability.  However, it is equally as important that you don’t break the bank building up your company’s network infrastructure.  The key is to find a reliable network hardware vendor- whether it be a used network hardware reseller or a direct seller, make sure that they are clear-cut and trustworthy.

Beyond this list, there are basic consumer guidelines that you should follow when purchasing network hardware.  One of these components is a vendor’s warranty- make sure they clearly state that they offer a warranty on your network hardware purchase so that if your requirements change, you don’t end up paying the cost.

Many of today’s next-generation businesses spend a tremendous amount of money on their company’s network infrastructure. This is an important aspect of any modern business: the ability for management, processing, sales, and clients to effortlessly communicate across geographic barriers.

Just as important in this network infrastructure is the ability for a company to retain proprietary information without breaches in security. So how can a company stay lean and save money, while still getting the best enterprise network equipment available?

Cisco Systems makes quality networking equipment that often retains a great value even after a bit of wear and tear.

Some companies dispose of networking equipment that is no longer functioning, but can still be recycled and refurbished for sale and reuse. In today’s economy, many downsizing companies are also getting rid of ‘fresh out-of-the-package’ networking hardware because they no longer have the need for a large centralized network.

Either way, there are various ways for an enterprise to buy and sell used cisco hardware, or any brand name network equipment. Making an enterprise purchase of a used cisco router, firewall, or switch can often mean a difference in tens of thousands of dollars, with little difference in the quality of the purchase.

The money saved buying used networking hardware can be diverted to other integral parts of a business, like retaining a quality sales team.

There are several great ways to buy and sell used Cisco equipment. One is utilizing the world’s biggest rummage sale: Ebay.com. On Ebay you can browse through a wide assortment of networking hardware, including new, pre-owned, refurbished and used equipment from a variety of sellers. Some of these products often come at a fraction of the cost a business would pay for standard ‘off the shelf’ equipment.

The risk to using Ebay for network equipment purchases are the potential shipping costs and the fact that no product is 100% certified to give your business what it needs.

There are several online network hardware resellers who do provide both a trusted warranty and 100% product certification for used networking hardware. Many resellers offer large network hardware product catalogs as well as a slew of services for brand name equipment- from cisco repair to cisco buy back and recycling.

Using a trusted vendor can often mean a long standing B2B relationship, where they will provide only the best in products and services in return for repeat business. Just search online for your desired product and you should be able to easily find a suitable network hardware vendor.

Cisco (CSCO) is the leading supplier of networking equipment and network management for the Internet. Products include routers, hubs, ethernet, firewalls, switches and more.