Quake Damages Plants of Fujitsu and Canon

The 8.9 magnitude earthquake last week has brought damages to six plants of the Fujitsu Group and several facilities of Canon.

Four of the Fujitsu Group plants with building and equipment damage are in the Fukushima Prefecture plagued by nuclear plant blasts after the quake, while the other two are in the Iwate Prefecture and the Miyagi Prefecture, according to the vendor in a statement on Monday. These plants are respective facilities of Fujitsu Semiconductor, Fujitsu Semiconductor Technology, Fujitsu Integrated Microtechnology, and Fujitsu Isotec.

Fujitsu Group has set up a disaster response headquarters, with president Masami Yamamoto acting as the chief to collect information on the safety of all employees and on the extent of damage sustained by Fujitsu Group facilities and customers, the firm noted.

"Damages to buildings and production equipment including the ceilings, walls, and drain pipes of the Fujitsu Group's plants and offices have affected business operations," said a Fujitsu Group spokesperson. "The planned rotational electricity blackouts have also affected our operations in the Kanto region."

The amount of loss and impact on profits brought by the quake are currently unknown, according to Fujitsu.

The company said that it will donate 100 million yen and relief supplies to support the rescue and recovery efforts. "We sincerely hope for the speediest possible recovery to everyone affected by this disaster," said the spokesperson.

Canon: Injuries at Utsunomiya Office

Canon reported on Sunday afternoon severe damage at Fukushima Canon and the Utsunomiya Office that houses an optics R&D center and two plants.

While there are 15 cases of injury at the Utsunomiya Office, production at offices and plants in the hard-hit northern Honshu area has been suspended until further notice, the company noted.

"We are still working to ascertain damages and determine when operations can resume," said a Canon spokesperson.

Companies including Sony and Panasonic also announced suspension at some of their plants earlier. While HDS reports zero damage to its manufacturing facilities in Japan, Fuji Xerox hasn't responded to Computerworld Hong Kong's inquiry on the quake's impact on its operation and production.

Tech Supply Shortages Loom After Japan Earthquake

Consumers could be looking at higher prices on televisions, PCs and phones in the wake of the 9.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Japan last Friday.

Although the effects of the quake on Japan's tech manufacturing industry are still unclear, major display panel makers such as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are facing shortages from component suppliers due to blackouts and transport issues. Sebastian Ho, an analyst with Yuanta Investment Consulting in Taipei, told IDG News service that shortages could result in higher prices for panel buyers, resulting in more expensive products for consumers.

Display manufacturers weren't the only ones affected by the earthquake. The price of NAND Flash -- the type of storage typically found in mobile phones and tablets -- has already spiked, according to IDG. Toshiba, one of the world's biggest NAND suppliers, said its factories are still running, but makers of silicon wafers, onto which the NAND chips are etched, had to stop production.

Apple products, however, may be largely unaffected. Wintek Corp., a Taiwan-based touch screen supplier for Apple, said it hasn't seen any effects on its supply yet. In any case, Apple tends to lock in its prices for products like the iPhone and iPad. Delayed shipments would be more likely if any supply problems arose.

The bigger risk would be for buyers of laptop and desktop computers, whose prices can fluctuate due to discounts and sales. We'll see what happens, but given the catastrophe that's still unfolding in Japan, try to put the idea of pricier gadgets in perspective.