Over the past 30 years, Silicon Valley has established a reputation and expertise that still attract aspiring entrepreneurs. Many of them come with what they hope is the next big thing, but only a few manage to thrive and grow beyond the region— and even the United States.
Founded by Takayoshi Oshima in 1987, Allied Telesis is among the few pioneers that survived cut-throat competition because of its vital products and services, as well as its commitment to innovate. It has more than 160 global patents and runs sales and research and development centers around the world.
Allied Telesis, based in both Tokyo and San Jose, provides end-to-end networking solutions to enterprise organizations, government agencies, educational institutions and critical infrastructure customers.
Amid growing digitization and interconnectivity, Oshima stresses that cybersecurity must become a paramount concern. While improving firewalls is the priority for many tech firms, Allied Telesis has developed a Self-Defending Network, which gives an automatic, immediate and effective response to threats from suspect devices by isolating them from the network until the threat is removed.
Allied Telesis is partnered with Kyoto University and Tokyo University to develop many of its advanced technologies. It has also begun forming partnerships with American colleges and universities to strengthen its cybersecurity-related business.
“There are a lot of things that need to be done, especially in our transportation sector for public safety, and you need a network to make this possible,” Oshima said.
Such partnerships include those with the Norwich University Applied Research Institute (NUARI) as well as the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI), to which Allied Telesis donated $500,000 to improve its cybersecurity program.
Like many Japanese, Oshima’s vision has always been for the long-term. He believes that Japanese with the same mindset will indeed help them succeed in Silicon Valley.
“It’s not about just being in the market today — to make a quick buck and then exit the market. That’s why I encourage Japanese companies to come here because there is a need for businesses for the longer term,” he said.
