Business Systems Blog

Panasonic is passionately committed to the environment and recognises the responsibility it has as a global corporate citizen to contribute to environmental protection through sustainable practices. By 2018, when Panasonic celebrates its 100^th anniversary, we aim to be the number one “Green Innovation” company.

With the environment a central consideration in everything we do, it made sense for Panasonic to partner with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in June 2011 to promote sustainable development through World Heritage conservation and environmental education for the next generation. Much has been achieved since the partnership kicked off, from the ‘UNESCO World Heritage Eco Learning Program’ for children through to the screening of ‘The World Heritage Special’ on the National Geographic Channel in 193 countries and regions since June 2011.

In 1995, Panasonic and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre created The World Heritage Calendar. In 2010 a web version was established which you can download to enjoy on your PC or tablet. You can view incredible photographs of world heritage sites, with a new one featured each month, and expand your knowledge of each site by reading the trivia column.

In this small way, Panasonic hopes to draw attention to the importance of preserving these invaluable sites around the world. The video ‘UNESCO World Heritage: Treasures common to all’ captures the magnificent wonder of the UNESCO World Heritage sites in stunning image quality.

View The World Heritage Calendar here.

Panasonic has been passionately supporting the Olympic Games for more than 25 years as an Official Worldwide Partner and is thrilled to continue this association for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

With Panasonic supplying a wide range of digital audio/visual solutions to Olympic venues, the installation of this state-of-the-art equipment has begun. From LED Large Screen Display Systems, flat screen TVs, digital video cameras, DVD recorders and other professional audio/video equipment, Panasonic’s technology will play an essential role in helping to bring the Olympics to life, both for those lucky enough to be at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games and to people around the world.

So far one of Panasonic’s LED Large Screen Display Systems has been installed at the Iceberg Skating Palace, which will showcase figure skating events in vivid detail. As well, cutting edge equipment has been installed at venues in the Mountain Cluster, like the Sanki Sliding Centre, which will feature the excitement of bobsleigh, skeleton and luge events.

More than 200 Panasonic devices feature at this venue, including security cameras, LED Large Screen Display Systems and professional TV systems.

For a significant global event like the Winter Olympics with its guarantee of a huge global audience, only the highest quality, most technologically advanced equipment will do. Panasonic will continue to support the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee with the installation and operation of its AV equipment. The countdown to the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi has well and truly begun!

Find out more here.

Ambulance Victoria has been utilising Panasonic’s rugged Toughbooks in the field since 2004. An in-depth evaluation of a range of devices saw the Toughbook come out on top for its ability to meet Ambulance Victoria’s technical requirements, along with its weight, screen size, long battery life with easy battery swap out, rugged qualities and Wi-Fi®,  capabilities.

The Toughbooks have been used to access VACIS®, a world-leading emergency electronic patient care record system that paves the way for research to further enhance ambulance performance. Using the Toughbooks, paramedics can download information from medical devices used in the field like cardiac monitors and defibrillators. Upon arrival at a hospital, this information is then shared to continue assisting in emergency patient care. Wireless technology is used to synchronise the Toughbook with the central VACIS database.

Now, Ambulance Victoria is updating its Toughbook stock with CF-19 and CF-C1 models to meet its increasing need for 3G-enabled units to interface with other systems. When a paramedic is responding to an emergency, VACIS allows the patient’s care record (PCR) to be accessed. Part of the PCR is prepopulated via 3G with dispatch information which can be printed or transmitted to a web service accessible during patient handover at the hospital.

Noelle McCabe, Manager Solution Delivery, Information & Technology, Ambulance Victoria, explained the benefits of the Toughbook and the reason for the upgrade, saying, “A paramedic’s primary focus is the patient they are treating and unlike most office-based workers, attention to the care of a computer is not a high priority. The Toughbook’s hot swappable batteries are essential for paramedics who work long shifts and do not have the opportunity to recharge the Toughbook after 8 hours.

”The original fleet of units were not 3G enabled, however due to enhancements to the VACIS system, a real-time interface from our dispatching centre was a desirable feature for us and which we believe further aids our paramedics in the field who before VACIS handwrote patient records.”

Matthew Connolly, Product Manager Toughbook, Panasonic Australia, details the rugged credentials of the Toughbook, explaining ,“Panasonic CF-19 Toughbooks are built with a magnesium alloy frame and a shock-mounted hard drive which can withstand knocks and heavy vibrations, and survive falls from up to 180cm, whilst the CF-C1 Toughbooks are resistant to up to 177 millilitres of liquid spills and can withstand 100-kgf pressurised vibration which is great for field workers such as ambulance staff who may drop and knock their devices when working at a fast pace while on duty.”

As well, the fact that Toughbooks are dust and water resistant and have high brightness screens, ideal for both poorly and brightly lit environments, make them an essential tool for Ambulance Victoria, assisting paramedics in providing high quality patient care

Wi-Fi® is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance

Panasonic has built a new solar production base in Kedah, Malaysia and has started rolling out HIT® solar modules, which offer the world’s highest levels of power output¹, in order to meet the demand both in Japan and internationally.

The Malaysian facility is the company’s first fully-integrated solar manufacturing base, producing from wafers to cells and modules. Panasonic takes full advantage of this facility not only to meet the growing demand but also strengthen cost competitiveness through reduction of transportation costs and use of local parts and materials.

To date, Panasonic has produced HIT® solar cells at its two domestic plants and has three module assembly bases – two in Japan and one in Hungary – with an annual production capacity of 600 MW each of cells and modules. The new production base in Malaysia adds a yearly production capacity of 300 MW, increasing Panasonic’s overall module production capacity by 50% to 900 MW.

With the wide-ranging and always evolving needs of their customers in mind, Panasonic will work towards providing integrated solar solutions that combine solar modules with power conditioners, storage batteries and other components.

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1. In terms of both installation area (per m2) and system capacity (per kW).

As one of the largest and most trusted sources of news gathering and reporting, Associated Press (AP) needs equipment that is reliable, robust and flexible to deliver the constant stream of news coverage to members, commercial customers and global subscribers. This is why AP has selected a full Panasonic P2 broadcast solution supplied by Top Teks to meet the diverse demands of capturing and delivering broadcast news.

A range of manufacturers competed to provide HD equipment to AP with Panasonic making a shortlist to supply a fuller ‘family of P2 solutions’ for an extended trial to identify the right products. With great customer care a priority for Panasonic, a partnership was formed with Top-Teks, a leading supplier of broadcast equipment, service and support in the UK.

Top Tek’s Sales Director, Mike Thomas said, “At Top-Teks we have been successful in winning and maintaining many contracts to supply the main broadcasters in the UK and throughout the world. Our benchmark engineering facility and showroom based in London enables us to obtain feedback from our customers which in turn we pass on to the manufacturer, in this case Panasonic. We can then add further value to our customer proposition which was and always will be essential for the Associated Press contract.”

After the trial, Panasonic was selected and now AP are using a range of Panasonic AJ-HPX2100, HPX3100, HPX301, HPX371, HPX171 and HPX250 broadcast cameras and they have been impressed with the results so far. Dave Hoad, Director of Video Technology at AP, said, “Panasonic have listened to the industry feedback and have made helpful changes in the product cycle development.”

In particular, AP have been enthusiastic about the AG-HPX3100 because of its lightweight body design which enables greater stability and mobility, vital for field-based camera teams.

Panasonic, in their partnership with Top Teks, have delivered an integrated HD workflow solution for Associated Press that allows them to meet the demands of delivering news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats.