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Japan to launch

new shopping system

TOKYO: Japan's telecommunications ministry and 14 private firms will jointly develop a new catalogue shopping system using digital broadcasting and Internet, a daily said on Saturday.

Under the system, to be launched in the fiscal year starting in April 2001, customers will be able to receive shopping information and then send orders on interactive digital television, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun said.

Their orders will be relied to a data centre via Internet, and the centre will direct convenience stores to deliver products.

The system, which rely on digital broadcasting starting later this year, will allow people to participate in e-commerce even if they are not computer users, the daily said.

"Even those who are not good at operating computers will easily joint the system by using digital television as an Internet terminal," it said.

The companies taking part in the project include Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd., Fuji Television Network, Lawson Inc., NTT Mobile Communications Network Inc., Japan IBM, Fujitsu Ltd. and Mitsubishi Corp., the Nihon Keizai said.ÑAFP