NEC Taps Anthropic Claude to Power Its AI Workforce

NEC Corporation and Anthropic announced a strategic collaboration in Tokyo, to deploy Claude across approximately 30,000 NEC Group employees worldwide and develop AI solutions for Japan's enterprise sector.

This partnership matters because Japan's enterprise sector has long struggled with IT talent shortages, strict compliance requirements, and a lack of operational AI know-how. This deal directly addresses those gaps at scale.

The Partnership

NEC becomes Anthropic's first Japan-based global partner through this agreement. The two companies will jointly develop industry-specific AI solutions targeting the finance, manufacturing, and local government sectors. These sectors require high security standards and compliance with Japanese laws and regulations.

NEC will also integrate Claude, including Claude Opus 4.7, and Claude Code into NEC BluStellar Scenario, which is a consulting and digital services framework NEC offers to business customers. The rollout begins with two areas: data-driven management and customer experience transformation.

Cybersecurity Focus

NEC is already using Claude within its Security Operations Center (SOC) services. The SOC helps protect companies operating in Japan and globally against cyber threats. Anthropic's AI technology will further support NEC's next-generation cybersecurity service currently being provided to customers.

Paul Smith, Chief Commercial Officer of Anthropic, said: "We are deeply honored to collaborate with NEC, one of Japan's leading technology companies. We are deeply grateful for the trust extended to us by our customers, partners, and government stakeholders across Japan, and we regard this collaboration as a meaningful step in our long-term commitment to shaping the future of AI in Japan together."

Internal Deployment

NEC will deploy Claude across its global workforce of approximately 30,000 NEC Group employees. The company aims to build one of Japan's largest AI-native engineering teams. Engineers will use Claude Code, a coding agent for developers, as part of their daily work.

NEC will also establish an internal Center of Excellence (CoE) to develop skilled AI professionals. Anthropic will provide technical support and training to help build this team.

As part of its long-running Client Zero initiative, where NEC acts as its own first customer before offering services to clients, NEC will expand the use of Claude Cowork, a desktop AI application for business users, across internal operations. This initiative has already driven NEC's use of AI agents in internal development processes, from design through to testing.

Toshifumi Yoshizaki, Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of NEC Corporation, said: "This long-term partnership with Anthropic enables NEC to maximize the potential of AI in the Japanese market and further strengthen our capabilities in AI and AI agent implementation through large-scale deployments and collaboration."

Deployment Status

Claude is now being deployed to NEC Group employees around the world. Joint development of industry-specific AI solutions is already underway. NEC and Anthropic have confirmed the first phase will focus on finance, manufacturing, and local government sectors, with plans to expand Claude's integration into additional NEC BluStellar Scenario offerings over time.

About Anthropic

Anthropic is an AI safety company founded with the goal of building reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. The company develops Claude, a general-purpose AI assistant, along with Claude Code, a coding agent for developers, and Claude Cowork, a desktop application for business users. Anthropic works with enterprise and government partners across the globe to deploy AI responsibly.

About NEC Corporation

NEC Corporation was established in 1899 and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE: 6701). The NEC Group employs approximately 110,000 people globally. The company provides AI, security, and communications technologies to businesses and governments. NEC BluStellar is its value-creation model focused on business model innovation and solving operational challenges for customers.