IIJ Expands Its Remote Access Service Infrastructure to Accommodate Skyrocketing Corporate Telecommuting Demand

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TOKYO-April 23, 2020-Internet Initiative Japan Inc. (TSE1: 3774), one of Japan's leading Internet access and comprehensive network solutions providers, today announced a massive expansion of its remote access service infrastructure to respond to surging telecommuting demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

There has been a massive uptick in demand for remote access services due to government actions taken to counter the coronavirus pandemic. Specifically, the Japanese government declared a state of emergency and recommended that corporations institute telecommuting policies as a measure to slow the spread of the COVID-19 disease.

IIJ offers two cloud-based remote access services. IIJ GIO Remote Access Service is optimized for general tasks, including sending email and using corporate systems. IIJ Flex Mobility Service is a VPN service with high communication quality that is ideal for applications that demand real-time performance, including web conferences.
As of April 20, 2020, the IIJ Flex Mobility Service has more than 50,000 subscribed devices, representing a roughly 250% increase since February 29. This growth is due to rising demand among corporate employees who wish to work from home comfortably with high communication quality. The number of devices registered in March was 900% higher than the average monthly device registrations through February, indicating a remarkable surge in demand (Figure 1). Simultaneously, peak traffic figures of the service have also doubled each month from mid-February through late April. IIJ surmises that this outcome is due to corporations accelerating the pace at which they implement telecommuting policies (Figure 2).

Because the government declared nationwide state of emergency, IIJ expects even more growth in demand. Thus, IIJ has increased its infrastructure to allow many multiples of the current user base to securely access these services. The firm intends to gradually deploy further infrastructure expansion as needed.

• For more details about IIJ GIO Remote Access Service, please visit https://www.iij.ad.jp/en/biz/gam/.
• For more details about IIJ Flex Mobility Service, please visit https://www.iij.ad.jp/en/biz/fxm/.

Figure 1: Trends and Forecasts for Total Subscription Numbers for IIJ Flex Mobility Service

Figure 2: Traffic for IIJ Flex Mobility Service (January 1, 2020-April 15)

The telecommuting infrastructure needed to use these remote access services typically takes one to two months to set up. As a temporary measure until the environment is set up, IIJ is offering its SEIL (pronounced "zile") corporate router for free to allow for same-day remote access setup for corporations that have an immediate need. The firm is also extending the availability of this free offer to June 30, 2020.
Additionally, users who subscribe to IIJ Flex Mobility Service by June 30, 2020, will be eligible for waiving the initial fees and two months of monthly fees.

The statements within this release contain forward-looking statements about our future plans that involve risk and uncertainty. These statements may differ materially from actual future events or results.

For inquiries, contact

IIJ Corporate Communications

• +81-3-5205-6310
• +81-3-5205-6377
• press@iij.ad.jp

• (*)All company, product and service names used in this press release are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
• (*)The impact that these offers will have on consolidated year-end performance for FY3/2020 and 2021 is limited.