from today's Nikkei

米データ通信会社買収　ＮＴＴコム　企業向けに回線　クラウド企業の買収も最終調整　投資額１０００億円規模

It is recently learned that NTT Communicatons Corporation will take over a U.S. company named Barbara Technology Service (based in Colorado), which is specializing in data communications services for corporate users. The value of this deal is expected to be around \50. NTT Communications will likely form a framework for building networks used for a cloud service aimed at corporate clients in the world. Another target of takeover by the company is a cloud service company, with which it has entered into a final negotiation stage. If it is realized, the total value of the deals this time would likely come to nearly \100.

from the October 26 Nikkei

洋上風力発電に優遇策　買い取り価格１．５～２倍　経産省が来年度　再生エネ　太陽光偏重を是正
The Ministry of Economy,Trade and Industry has a plan to raise the price in buying the power generated by wind on the sea in terms of renewable energy's fixed-price purchasing system, it is learned. The ministry intends next fiscal year to establish an exclusive price for the ocean wind power generayion, which is expected to be around \30 to \40 per kilowatt, or 1.5 to 2 times as much as that for the land wind power generation. At present, when it comes to renewable energies, main interest is biased toward the sunlight power generation. Under such circumstances, the ministry likes to make energy sources diversfied by promoting wind power generation nationwide.

from the October 24 Nikkei

半導体部門の社員半減　パナソニック、７０００人に　一部工場の売却検討
It is learned that Panasonic Corporation will likely cut back its semiconductor businesses on a large scale. Specifically, it is expected to reduce the number of its total relevant employees from the current 14,000 to 7,000, half the present, by fiscal 2014, and also starts to deliberate on selling off some of its factories.

from October 23 Nikkei

東電、調達・コスト見直し　コスト１０００億円減　競争入札４倍　なれ合い排除　他電力に波及も

It is likely that Tokyo Electric Power Co. will revise the way it purchases materials and oders its construction works. Specifically, it intends to increase competitive biddings more than 4 times and clear so-called cozy relationships with contactors by raising the number of companies which would participate in biddings, so that it would like to reduce the costs for materials and equipment by 10 percent, which ammounted to about \100 bilion, in five years from the current \1.2 trillion a year. Other power companies are expected to follow the suit.

from the October 17 Nikkei

公共施設　撤去しやすく　再開発へ地方債解禁　　来年度、１０００件超す要望

According to sources familiar with the matter, the Public Management, Home Affairs, and Communications Ministry has decided to lift the ban in fiscal 2014 of local governments' issuing bonds in securing funds for abolishing the public facilities like school buildings and governments' offices.While most of municipalities have surplus facilities due to the decreases of their population and recent integrations of neighbouring cities, towns and villages, there is almost no progress in doing away with such facilities bacuase they are reluctant to shoulder necessary costs. Making it possible for local governments to issue their bonds will help them decrese such unnecessary facilities. According to the ministry, more than 1,000 facilities are expected to be abolished nationwide with the ministry's plan implemented.