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ITOKI CORPORATION (headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Koji Minato; hereinafter "ITOKI"), NTT Communications Corporation (headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Toru Maruoka; hereinafter "NTT Com"), and NTT DOCOMO, INC. (headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Motoyuki Ii; hereinafter "DOCOMO") will engage in verification to resolve communication issues in hybrid work in the new normal era.

A new communication service that combines Itoki's newly developed fixtures with the online workspace "NeWork®*1" provided by NTT Com and "Business d Account*2", a common authentication ID for corporations provided by Docomo. A demonstration experiment (hereinafter referred to as this demonstration experiment) will utilize "office surfTM" to create "chat" between employees working in different locations and revitalize internal communication, starting today and ending on Thursday, June 30, 2022. ).
In the future, by seamlessly connecting virtual offices and real offices, we will realize smooth communication between employees located in remote locations and work to create a comfortable “Work Environment”.

As "hybrid work," a way of working that combines work remotely and office work, becomes mainstream and workplaces become more and more dispersed, there is a growing demand for an environment where people can have casual conversations and ask questions in the office, which has traditionally been a catalyst for new ideas. In addition, the "Survey on Working Individuals' Attitudes During the COVID-19 Pandemic*3" showed that having "small talk" during work helps relieve stress when work remotely, and creating a place for casual conversation and consultation in a hybrid work environment is also a challenge for companies.

In this demonstration experiment using "office surf," ITOKI will develop the fixtures for the experiment and set up a permanent online workspace in a place such as a cafe or lounge. By combining this with "NeWork" provided by NTT Com and "Business d Account" provided by Docomo, a space where people can talk can be created without the hassle of registering new login information or setting up a web conference.
For office work, we provide a space where you can casually talk to people in the virtual office by simply visiting the online workspace during your break or any free time you have.
Even when work remotely, you can easily talk and consult online as if you were in the office.
In this way, by creating an office that combines the virtual and real worlds with a focus on hybrid work, we will use various indicators to verify whether communication between employees has been stimulated and whether stress has been reduced.

The three companies will continue to develop initiatives with an eye toward the commercialization of "office surf," aiming to create a comfortable “Work Environment” with the aim of realizing smooth communication that fits the new normal work style of the future. I'll go. Additionally, we will promote the use of ``Office Surf'' by utilizing digital marketing among the membership base of ``Business d Account.''

The content of this demonstration experiment is scheduled to be exhibited at Orgatec Tokyo 2022*4, an international trade show that proposes cutting-edge office environments, to be held in April 2022.