Okano Valve Mfg. and NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS Launch Secure Valve Remote Diagnosis Solution

Okano Valve Mfg. Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, President and CEO: Takeharu Okano, hereinafter "Okano Valve Mfg.") and NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS, Ltd. (formerly NTT Communications Corporation, hereinafter "NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS"), together with Meidensha Corporation (hereinafter "Meidensha"), will begin offering a solution for secure remote diagnosis of valves (hereinafter "This Solution") from July 8, 2026. This Solution combines three components: "docomo business SIGNTM" (Note 1), a NaaS (Network as a Service) for IoT with built-in security functions; "VQ-ORCL", a remote diagnosis technology for valves; and "REMOTIER", Meidensha's remote monitoring and diagnosis service for rotating machinery (Note 2) using AI. This solution enables secure and efficient remote diagnosis of valves in critical infrastructure such as power plants, which require advanced security.

Note 1: "docomo business SIGNTM" is a NaaS (Network as a Service) for IoT provided by NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS with built-in security functions. For details, please refer to Appendix 1.

Note 2: Rotating machinery refers to machines that convert and transmit energy using rotating parts, such as motors and generators.

1. Background

In the power, industrial equipment, and public infrastructure sectors, there is a growing need for labor saving and efficiency improvement due to the increasing sophistication and complexity of equipment and the ongoing labor shortage. In addition, the importance of an environment where data can be constantly acquired and utilized, including during disasters and equipment failures, is increasing year by year. In particular, valve inspections at power plants have relied on manual periodic inspections, posing challenges due to the significant time and effort required for disassembly. Therefore, technology that can diagnose the condition of valves without disassembly is in demand.

Furthermore, in the past, power plants have primarily handled equipment inspections and troubleshooting on-site due to concerns about risks such as unauthorized access from external sources. However, in recent years, with the progression of labor shortages and the increasing burden of travel for security personnel, there has been a growing need for remote security operations, such as monitoring and configuration changes, without the need to visit the site. To safely implement such remote operations, it is essential to secure a communication environment that prevents external intrusion and leakage of equipment data.

To address these challenges, a demonstration experiment for remote valve diagnosis was successfully conducted at a power plant in March 2026, combining Okano Valve Mfg.'s "VQ-ORCL" and Meidensha's "REMOTIER" with NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS's "docomo business SIGNTM". This solution has been realized based on the results of this experiment.

2. Overview of This Solution

This Solution utilizes "REMOTIER" equipped with "VQ-ORCL" technology to acquire and diagnose current and voltage data during valve operation, and transmits the diagnostic data to the cloud via "docomo business SIGNTM". Users can view the diagnostic data sent to the cloud to check for any abnormalities in the valves. Additionally, the threat detection system within the "docomo business SIGNTM" network monitors communications to detect malicious traffic.

Even in the complex environment of power plants, which require robust security and feature intricate arrangements of large equipment and piping, remote valve diagnosis can be performed securely and smoothly under a stable communication environment.

<Image of This Solution>

3. Roles of Each Company

The roles of each company are as follows:

Okano Valve Mfg.

- Sales of This Solution - Integration of "VQ-ORCL" technology into "REMOTIER"

NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS

- Provision of "docomo business SIGNTM"

Meidensha

- Provision of "REMOTIER"

4. Pricing and Application Method

Please contact the Okano Valve Mfg. Maintenance Business Division ([email protected]).

5. Service Start Date

July 8, 2026

6. Future Development

Going forward, we will expand this solution to a wide range of industrial fields that require advanced security and efficient equipment management, such as manufacturing facilities, in addition to power plants both domestically and internationally, thereby contributing to the acceleration of smart security and DX for large-scale plants.

Okano Valve Mfg. will begin offering services primarily to domestic thermal and hydroelectric power plants, and will further enhance the solution as it expands its services. In the future, we plan to expand our service offerings to domestic nuclear power plants, industrial plants, and overseas markets.

NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS will proceed with the development of a foundation for future service expansion and enhancement based on the concept of the next-generation ICT platform optimized for the AI era, "AI-Centric ICT Platform®" (Note 3). Furthermore, leveraging the "know-how in building secure IoT communication networks for critical infrastructure" established with this solution, we will provide comprehensive proposals, including "docomo business SIGNTM", to customers in a wide range of industrial fields facing similar on-site challenges, with thorough support from our nationwide sales and SE teams.

Note 3: "AI-Centric ICT Platform®" is a next-generation ICT platform optimized for the AI era, enabling companies to fundamentally improve productivity, strengthen competitiveness, and transform business models by utilizing AI.

▼About Okano Valve Mfg. Co., Ltd.

- Company Name: Okano Valve Mfg. Co., Ltd.

- President and CEO: Takeharu Okano

- Head Office Location: 1-14 Nakamachi, Moji-ku, Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture

- Founded: November 3, 1926

- Business Activities: Development, manufacturing, and maintenance of high-temperature, high-pressure valves for power generation, contract production of other industrial products,

Various construction work in industrial plants,

Contract research and development,

Implementation and support of DX,

Implementation and support of industrial and regional promotion.

- Website: https://okano-valve.co.jp/

▼About NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS, Ltd.

- Company Name: NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS, Ltd.

- President and CEO: Katsushige Kojima

- Head Office Location: Otemachi Place West Tower, 2-3-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

- Established: July 1, 1999

- Business Activities: Inter-prefectural call services in the domestic telecommunications business,

International telecommunications business, solutions business,

And related businesses.

- Website: https://www.ntt.com

<Contact Information for Inquiries Regarding This Matter>

Okano Valve Mfg. Co., Ltd. VQ Business Division [email protected]

NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS, Ltd.

Business Solutions Division, Kyushu Branch [email protected]

<Contact Information for Media Inquiries Regarding This Matter>

Okano Valve Mfg. Co., Ltd. Corporate Planning Office [email protected]

NTT DOCOMO BUSINESS, Ltd.

Corporate Planning Department, Public Relations Office [email protected]