Create a rich life with the coin laundry IoT service “TOSEI Cloud”

No. 1 share in coin laundry washer/dryers in the Japanese market * TOSEI Co., Ltd. (Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, President: Kazuo Tanijima, hereinafter referred to as "TOSEI") and SoftBank Technology Corp. (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director, President and CEO), which provides ICT services centered on the cloud. : Shinichi Ata, hereinafter "SBT"), and Contec Co., Ltd. (Nishiyodogawa-ku, Osaka, CEO: Akira Ikari, hereinafter "Contec"), a comprehensive manufacturer of industrial IoT, measurement control, and embedded computers. We are pleased to announce that we will jointly develop TOSEI Cloud, an IoT platform service that connects laundromats and various servicers. In addition, as the first service, we will start managing multiple stores for owners and providing store and equipment operation information for users in March 2020.

■Background
Recently, due to changes in the social and working environment, such as the advancement of women into the workforce and the increase in part-time work for spouses, the percentage of full-time housewives has decreased, and there is a need to improve the efficiency of housework. On the other hand, due to changes in modern people's values regarding cleanliness, such as measures against dust mites, hay fever, house dust, asthma, and allergies, the need for large commercial washing machines that can clean futons and wash large amounts of laundry efficiently has increased. I am.
Since its founding, TOSEI has always considered the needs of its customers, and as of 2019, has supplied washers and dryers to approximately 8,500 coin laundry stores nationwide, contributing to customers' lives from a laundry perspective. However, due to these changes in the environment and the cost competition and commoditization of washing machines themselves, in addition to providing products as a manufacturer, we need to provide new added value by collaborating with other industries that take advantage of the coin laundry space. I thought I needed to go.

In addition, in recent years, communication technologies such as the Internet and AI and IoT technologies have become commonplace, and due to digital transformation, various industries, products, and services are incorporating IT technology and improving convenience. In collaboration with these companies, coin laundry facilities have begun developing the TOSEI Cloud to make laundromats more convenient as a part of customers' lives, and to enable owners to constantly provide new value to their customers.

■“TOSEI Cloud” service concept
There is an increasing number of cases where physical stores are collaborating with each other, such as by setting up coin-operated laundromats alongside convenience stores and cafes, and allowing people to buy items while washing and drying their clothes or to use up their waiting time.

In addition to collaboration with physical stores, "TOSEI Cloud" connects various servicers that integrate things and the cloud through IoT-enabled coin laundry spaces, allowing customers to "create more time in their lives" and improve customer experience. We will help create a more fulfilling lifestyle for customers, and create business opportunities for owners by creating new value for their coin laundry.

■About functions at the start of service provision and functions scheduled to be implemented in the future
In order to realize our service concept, we will provide the following functions that link the coin laundry space and the cloud.

<Functions for owners>
・Start of service provision
You will be able to centrally manage sales information, store information, equipment information, and operation information for multiple coin laundry stores in real time from the dashboard screen.

・After April 2020
By providing customer management functions, we will strengthen contact points with customers to further utilize coin laundry services, such as issuing campaigns and coupons according to the usage status of each customer visiting the store, and mutual customer referrals through data linkage with nearby stores. You will be able to do this easily. In addition, by linking with external data such as weather and predicting sales for each store using AI, owners can reduce operational costs related to store management. In store management, we will further streamline operations related to store operations by optimizing maintenance and consumables replenishment using AI.

<User functions>
・Start of service provision
Customers who want to use a coin laundry will be able to search for a coin laundry and check information about each store. You will also be able to check the operating information of the store's equipment, allowing you to check in advance whether the equipment is available at the time you want to use it before taking your laundry to the store.

・After April 2020
User convenience will be improved by allowing users to make multiple payments, obtain campaign information, and reserve washing and drying machines in advance. In addition, we have increased the number of servicers that collaborate with TOSEI Cloud, allowing customers to experience convenient services that suit their daily lives, such as coupons that can be used at nearby stores as well as information on great deals in coin laundry spaces. It will look like this.

■Overview and roles of each company
<TOSEI>
We sell "TOSEI Cloud" and provide coin laundry management and opening support using "TOSEI Cloud". Furthermore, TOSEI has the No. 1 share in the coin laundry washer/dryer market in the Japanese market. * We are a leading company in the industry and are the first in the world to manufacture and sell commercial washer/dryers in 2001.
*Industry share: 43% Large machines of 10kg or more in the second half of 2018 according to a TOSEI survey

<SBT>
We provide consulting on business and service planning for TOSEI Cloud, IoT Core Connect, an IoT service that utilizes Microsoft Azure, and the cloud, IoT, and AI technologies necessary for TOSEI Cloud. In addition, SBT has received numerous awards at partner awards sponsored by Microsoft Japan and Microsoft Corporation, and in 2019, it received an award in the IoT category.

<Contech>
Contec provides IoT devices that connect field equipment (Things) such as washers and dryers to the cloud and securely communicate operating information. Contec provides one-stop industrial IoT systems under the "CONPROSYS" brand, and offers many devices certified by Azure Certified for IoT and Azure IoT Edge.

■ Endorsements
We have received comments from Microsoft Japan Co., Ltd. and SB Payment Service Co., Ltd. regarding the development of this service.

" Microsoft Japan warmly welcomes SoftBank Technology Corp. to develop services using IoT/AI based on Microsoft Azure. We are confident that this service, which will be realized by SoftBank Technology Corp. 's high technical capabilities for Microsoft Azure, will be a service that will promote significant business growth in the industry. Microsoft Japan will continue to work with SoftBank Technology Corp. to help bring new value to our customers' businesses."

Microsoft Japan Co., Ltd.
Partner Business Headquarters
General Manager
Mr. Hiroshi Ando

“SB Payment Service warmly welcomes the development of TOSEI Cloud.As a payment agency, we provide a variety of online payment and in-store payment services, including credit card payments, carrier payments, and convenience store payments. We are very pleased that we will be able to meet the diverse needs of our customers by linking multi-payment and coin laundry services through this development. SB Payment Service will continue to meet the needs of business operators and provide safe and secure services. We will continue to provide highly convenient payment services.

SB Payment Service Co., Ltd.
Sales Headquarters General Manager
Mr. Masahiko Yamaura

■“TOSEI Cloud” demo exhibited at the 4th International Coin Laundry EXPO 2019

Using TOSEI Cloud, the operating status of washing machines is obtained from the cloud and displayed on the dashboard screen in real time.
We will also explain other functions using materials.

• *Company names, product names, and service names mentioned in this release are trademarks or registered trademarks of our company or each company or organization.