Hitachi Consulting one of the first to achieve UK data protection certification

United Kingdom - 23 March 2018: BSI (British Standards Institution) has certified Hitachi Consulting Corporation, a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd (TSE: 6501), to a new standard of excellence in data protection, privacy and security developed under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Hitachi Consulting becomes one of the first companies in the UK to achieve compliance with the BS 10012:2017 data protection standard for its personal information management system (PIMS) that sits at the heart of its compliance with the GDPR.

"We are immensely proud of this recognition from one of the world’s leading certification bodies. Our core strategic objective is to continue to explore new business models and solutions that harness the power of data for the benefit of our clients globally. Achieving this high standard for data protection is strong evidence of an embedded culture of compliance and will be a major factor for driving competitive advantage for us and our clients," said Hicham Abdessamad, CEO of Hitachi Consulting.

"The quality and quantity of secure personal data under our clients' control is now one of the biggest business issues they face, and we have a unique opportunity to share the story of our own GDPR compliance journey and how clients can learn from our first-hand experience for their competitive advantage," explains Abdessamad.

For clients of Hitachi Consulting, compliance with this high standard provides reassurance that their data—and their customers’ data—is protected. For example, Hitachi Consulting provides many clients services such as building and managing its clients’ data infrastructure so they can use their data as a strategic asset. Financial services firms and healthcare organisations, among others, rely on Hitachi Consulting to help them use data to improve their customers’ experience while safeguarding privacy.

BS 10012 specifies the requirements for an organization to adopt a PIMS, which provides a framework for maintaining and improving compliance with data protection. BS 10012 was revised last year with the support of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and has attracted significant attention from across all industries and sectors. BSI is now opening the opportunity of certification to the standard to other organisations in the UK and globally.

"The forthcoming GDPR deadline is increasing the focus on compliance and information resilience, therefore organizations must be able to demonstrate that they are committed to safeguarding personal information. Achieving this certification will help Hitachi Consulting to reassure customers and stakeholders that they are taking a best practice approach when acquiring, storing, processing and sharing personal data, says Maureen Sumner Smith, Chief Operating Officer for EMEA at BSI said."

About Hitachi Consulting Corporation
Hitachi Consulting is the global solutions and professional services organization within Hitachi Ltd., a global innovation leader in industrial and information technology solutions and an early pioneer of the Internet of Things. Hitachi Consulting is a business integrator for the IoT era and a catalyst for digital transformation. Using our deep domain knowledge, we collaborate with clients to help them innovate faster, maximize operational efficiency and realize measurable, sustainable business and societal value. As a consulting-led solutions company, we can help clients leverage data as a strategic asset to drive competitive differentiation, customer loyalty and growth. For more information visit www.hitachiconsulting.com.