Sixnet (News - Alert), a global market leader of machine-to-machine (M2M) networking solutions for industrial and military markets, has expanded its global presence into Japan. Officials with Sixnet said the company has opened a new office in Tokyo, Japan.

Japan represents the third-largest economy in the world, and Sixnet’s entry into this burgeoning market complements the company’s existing partner channel in Asia Pacific. Countries represented now include: Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.

“The decision to enter Japan was a logical next step for our expansion within the Asia-Pacific region,” said Rake W. Jiang, vice president of international sales at Sixnet, in a statement.

“As Sixnet continues to introduce new industrial-grade networking solutions that serve a wide range of markets and applications, we look forward to not only further building our extensive network of strategic partners, but also offering Japanese customers rugged automation and switching solutions to improve communications, increase efficiency and lower operational costs,” said Jiang.

Leading Sixnet’s entry into the Japanese market is newly-appointed executive Ginji Nojima.

Nojima, an industry veteran, brings more than 27 years of experience in semiconductors, application engineering and marketing to Sixnet.

Over his career, he has held a variety of positions at industry leaders, including Hitachi (News - Alert), as well as at numerous start-up firms, and also served on the Board of Directors of Tomen Electronics. He holds a BS from Dijon University (France).

Back in March, Sixnet announced a partnership agreement with Welotec, one of Germany’s leading suppliers of industrial-grade data communication solutions, radio remote controls and sensors.

Under the agreement, Welotec will distribute Sixnet industrial Ethernet switches and automation solutions throughout Germany, adding to the company’s existing portfolio of high-quality, reliable connectivity offerings.