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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 remote work and office work, becomes mainstream, and work locations become increasingly dispersed, casual conversations and consultations in the office, which used to be a source of new ideas, are no longer possible. There is a growing demand for an environment where this can be done. In addition, the "Survey on the Attitudes of Working Individuals During the New Coronavirus Pandemic*3" shows that having "small talk" during work relieves stress during remote work, making it easy to use in a hybrid work environment. Creating a space for honest conversation and consultation is a challenge for companies as well.

In this demonstration experiment using "office surf," Itoki will develop fixtures for this demonstration experiment and set up a permanent online workspace in a place like a cafe or lounge. By combining this with ``NeWork'' provided by NTT Com and ``Business d Account'' provided by Docomo, you can create a space where you can have conversations without having to register new login information or set up a web conference.
For office work, we provide a space where you can easily talk to people in the virtual office by simply visiting the online workspace during breaks or a little free time.
Even when working 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 with a focus on hybrid work, we will verify the activation of communication between employees and the state of stress reduction using various indicators.

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.