History

Mar.

Establishment of the VICS Consultative Liaison Council
Members: National Police Agency, Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, Ministry of Construction

Sep.

Convening of the VICS Promotion Council Organizing Committee
Committee Representative: Shoichiro Toyoda

Oct.

Establishment of the VICS Promotion Council, whose purpose is to encourage early implementation of VICS
Chairman: Hiroshi Inose
Number of members: 201 companies and organizations

–

Interim recommendation on FM multiplex broadcasting

May

VICS Grand Seminar
Venue: Sankei Hall
Content: Presentation on transmission formats and other technologies as well as methods of commercialization

Nov.

VICS Open Demonstration Experiments / Symposium
• Representatives also invited from IVHS America (now ITS America) and ERTICO

Sep.

Establishment of the Preparatory Office for Foundation of VICS Center within the VICS Promotion Council
• Twenty companies and organizations convene to carry out intensive short-term deliberations regarding operations and systems.

Jun.

Convening of the VICS Center (provisional name) organizing committee

Jul.

Establishment of the Vehicle Information and Communication System Center (VICS Center)
First chairman: Masao Kamei

Nov.

2nd ITS World Congress, Yokohama (Japan)
• VICS on-board units are exhibited and demonstrated. VICS is now in the practical usage stage and shows off its capabilities to the world.

Apr.

Launch of the Tokyo Metropolitan Information Service

Oct.

3rd ITS World Congress, Orlando (USA)
Publication of “VICS No Chosen,” a tactical description of VICS

Dec.

Launch of the Osaka Metropolitan Information Service

Feb.

A VICS information demonstration and test drive event is held at the 3rd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 3).

Oct.

4th ITS World Congress, Berlin (Germany)

Feb.

A special information service is set up to handle the Nagano Olympics.

May

Phase-two expansion plans for VICS are formulated.
• A decision is made to pursue area expansion into approximately 15 prefectures along with system reinforcement over the course of three years, starting in FY1999.

Oct.

5th ITS World Congress, Seoul (South Korea)

Apr.

A 24-hour information transmission service via FM multiplex broadcast is launched.

Nov.

6th ITS World Congress, Toronto (Canada)

Jun.

Hiroshi Okuda becomes second Chairman.

Jul.

The Okinawa Summit is held, with VICS information demonstrations and a panel exhibit.

Nov.

7th ITS World Congress, Turin (Italy)

Sep.

8th ITS World Congress, Sydney (Australia)

Jun.

Yoichi Morishita becomes third Chairman.

Oct.

9th ITS World Congress, Chicago (USA)

Feb.

Nationwide service area deployment is completed.

Oct.

10th ITS World Congress, Madrid (Spain)

Jul.

Cumulative number of VICS on-board units shipped surpasses 10 million.

Oct.

11th ITS World Congress, Nagoya, Aichi (Japan), 2004

Apr.

VICS moves to new offices and begins operations there.

Jul.

Ten-year anniversary of VICS’s founding

Nov.

12th ITS World Congress, San Francisco (USA)

Mar.

Cumulative number of VICS on-board units shipped surpasses 15 million.

Apr.

Ten-year anniversary of the VICS information service

Oct.

13th ITS World Congress, London (England)

Oct.

14th ITS World Congress, Beijing (China)

Nov.

Cumulative number of VICS on-board units shipped surpasses 20 million.

Dec.

Results of “Socioeconomic Effects of Providing VICS Information” are released.

Apr.

VICS Second System Center is completed.

Sep.

VICS reveals its 5.8 GHz radio beacon technology and holds an information session.

Nov.

VICS FM multiplex broadcasting licenses are reissued (for 518 stations).
15th ITS World Congress, New York (USA)

Mar.

VICS begins trials of weather warnings via FM multiplex broadcasting.

Jun.

The Fourth Committee Meeting on Research into the Sophistication of VICS is held.

Sep.

16th ITS World Congress, Stockholm (Sweden)
Cumulative number of VICS on-board units shipped surpasses 25 million.

Jan.

Official operations to provide weather warnings begin.

Mar.

FM broadcasting equipment for use during emergencies is deployed.

Jul.

Fifteen-year anniversary of VICS’s founding

Jan.

Katsuaki Watanabe becomes fourth Chairman.

Mar.

Cumulative number of VICS on-board units shipped surpasses 30 million.

Apr.

Fifteen-year anniversary of the VICS information service

Apr.

The FM-VICS Tokyo Station begins broadcasting from the Tokyo Skytree.

May

Standardization of the FM-VICS transmission system is announced.

Jul.

The Fifth Committee on Research into the Sophistication of VICS begins.

Apr.

VICS Center becomes a general incorporated foundation.
VICS begins transmitting tsunami warnings.

Nov.

Cumulative number of VICS on-board units shipped surpasses 40 million.

Mar.

Number of VICS on-board units shipped per year surpasses 4 million for the first time.

Jun.

Noritaka Kurauchi becomes fifth Chairman.

Oct.

The name of ITS Spot Service is changed to ETC 2.0 Service.

Apr.

VICS WIDE transmissions begin.

Jun.

The Sixth Committee on Research into the Sophistication of VICS begins.

Jul.

Twenty-year anniversary of VICS’s founding

Mar.

Cumulative number of VICS on-board units shipped surpasses 50 million.
Operations begin at the New Second System Center.

Apr.

Twentieth anniversary of the VICS information service

Sep.

Heavy rainfall warnings are deployed nationwide (VICS WIDE).

Oct.

Participation in the 2017 ITS World Congress in Montreal

Oct.–Dec.

VICS Center exhibits at the Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Fukuoka Motor Shows.

Jan.

The Sixth Committee on Research into the Sophistication of VICS ends.

Mar.

The fourth mid-term business plan is formulated (FY2018–FY2022).

May

Participation in the ITS Asia-Pacific Forum 2018 in Fukuoka

Jun.

Shusaku Nagae (Director and Board Chairman of Panasonic Corporation) is appointed sixth Chairman.
Cumulative number of VICS on-board units shipped surpasses 60 million.

Sep.

Participation in the 2018 ITS World Congress, Copenhagen

Jan.

The First Meeting of the Seventh Committee on Research into the Sophistication of VICS is held.

May

Establishment of the brand slogan

Oct.

Participation in 2019 ITS World Congress, Singapore

Oct.–Jan.

VICS Center exhibits at the Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Sapporo Motor Shows.

Apr.

Demonstration testing of the Road Traffic Information Service Using Probe Data begins in Tokyo and six other prefectures in Kanto region.
Official operation of VICS System 2.0 begins.

Jul.

Twenty-fifth anniversary of VICS’s founding
FY2020 annual meeting is cancelled (in response to the COVID-19 pandemic).

Dec.

Cumulative number of VICS on-board units shipped surpasses 70 million.
(Cumulative number of VICS WIDE on-board units shipped surpasses 15 million.)

Jul.

FY2021 annual meeting takes place online (in response to the COVID-19 pandemic).
VICS Center begins providing Event and Regulation Detour Area Information Display Service for major events.

Oct.

System 2.0 goes into operation at broadcasting facilities nationwide.

Dec.

VICS Center begins providing nationwide Event and Regulation Advance Notice Service for major events.

Jan.

Demonstration testing of the Road Traffic Information Service Using Probe Data expands to the Sapporo region, Aichi Prefecture, and Osaka Prefecture.

Mar.

Cumulative number of VICS on-board units shipped surpasses 75 million.

Apr.

The old method of providing the traffic congestion information service via FM multiplex broadcasting ends.

Jun.

Keiji Yamamoto (Operating Officer at Toyota Motor Corporation) is appointed seventh Chairman.
Cumulative number of VICS WIDE on-board units shipped surpasses 20 million.

Jul.

Demonstration testing of the Road Traffic Information Service Using Probe Data expands nationwide.
FY2022 annual meeting takes place online (in response to the COVID-19 pandemic).

Mar.

VICS Mid-Term Vision 2023 is established.

Jul.

FY2023 annual meeting takes place online.

Oct.

Participation in 2023 ITS World Congress, Suzhou

Oct.–Dec.

VICS Center exhibits at the Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka Mobility Shows.

Dec.

Cumulative number of VICS on-board units shipped surpasses 80 million.

Jul.

FY2024 annual meeting takes place online.
Portable temporary disaster broadcasting equipment is updated.

Sep.

Participation in 2024 ITS World Congress, Dubai

Jan.

VICS Center observes and investigates CES in the USA.

Mar.

Updating and distribution of urban monitors is completed.

Apr.

Official operation of the VICS Probe Service begins.

Jul.

Thirtieth anniversary of VICS’s founding