Toyota 2005 Annual Report Download - page 49

BUSINESS OVERVIEW >47
OTHER BUSINESS OPERATIONS
Toyota is drawing on technology and intellectual assets cultivated in its automotive operations to ener-
getically develop products and services that will enrich society and people’s lives in the 21st century.
Information Technology and Telecommunications Business
In preparation for the full-scale advent of a ubiquitous
society, we must integrate vehicles and communication—
particularly mobile communication—to upgrade the conve-
nience and comfort of cars. With that in mind, Toyota has
teamed up with the general telecommunications services
provider KDDI Corporation, which offers products ranging
from cell phone services to domestic and international
telecommunications services. Together, we are tackling
farsighted initiatives that will generate breakthrough tele-
communication products and services.
Intelligent Transport Systems Business
With the goals of enhancing the functionality of cars and
advancing transportation systems, Toyota is creating pro-
ducts and systems for the realization of Intelligent Transport
Systems (ITSs). At the October 2004 11th World Congress
on Intelligent Transport Systems held in Nagoya, Japan,
Toyota’s leading-edge ITS technology was heavily featured.
Still under development, Toyota’s new Intelligent Multi-
mode Transit System is being used for transportation within
one of the sites of the 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan,
which began in March.
GAZOO Business
GAZOO is a general information network service in Japan
provided by Toyota. Through the GAZOO web site, we
offer a wide range of services, including information on new
cars, used cars, and related services. At fiscal year-end,
GAZOO’s membership was 6.1 million.
Furthermore, to enhance our vehicle information services
we have been developing our own telematics service, G-
BOOK, which we have been working to popularize since
2003. And in April 2005, we announced the next-generation
telematics service, G-BOOK ALPHA, an upgrade of the
previous G-BOOK. In March 2004, we implemented a new
network system in Thailand, e-CRB (Customer Relationship
Building), that connects customers and dealers. We are
currently working to steadily expand this service.
Housing Business
The Company’s housing operations performed favorably in
fiscal 2005, posting an 11.2% year-on-year increase in sales
of homes, to 5,283 units. Additionally, Toyota announced a
capital tie-up with Misawa Homes Holdings, Inc., in March
2005. Toyota and Misawa Homes Holdings will bolster their
respective housing businesses by
making use of synergies among
housing development, production,
and sales and other operations and
by drawing on the complemen-
tarities of their sales areas and
product lineups to address wide-
ranging customer needs.
Marine Business
By making full use of the engines and other advanced
technologies it has developed in automotive manufacturing,
Toyota produces and markets motorboats and marine
engines. In fiscal 2005, the Company sold 65 motorboats.
Biotechnology and Afforestation Business
To simultaneously realize the goals of environmental
preservation and economic growth, Toyota actively pursues
biotechnology and afforestation. We are currently success-
fully conducting tree planting in Australia, sweet potato
processing in Indonesia, peat excavation in China, and
floriculture and rooftop greening in
Japan. In addition, with a view to
the mass production of plant-
derived bioplastics, Toyota con-
structed a pilot factory within its
Hirose plant in October 2004 and
began the annual production of
1,000 tons of bioplastics in May
2005.
Sincé Cada
Sweet potato processing plant in Indonesia