The nation is gradually updating its bureaucratic practices.
When it comes to a variety of technological fronts, Japan is a country that is at the forefront of innovation. On the other hand, the wheels of bureaucracy there frequently turn at an extremely slow pace. When it comes to submitting certain official documents, the government continues to insist that businesses give information on floppy disks and CD-ROMs. This is significant because of the importance of the information.
The situation is beginning to shift. In the year 2022, the Minister of Digital Affairs, Taro Kono, made a request to the various parts of the government, urging them to stop requiring businesses to submit information on obsolete types of physical media. MTI, which stands for the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, is one of the first organizations to make the transition. A statement made by METI last week was reported by The Register. “Under the current law, there are many provisions stipulating the use of specific recording media such as floppy disks regarding application and notification methods,” the statement read.
In accordance with 34 ordinances, the METI will no longer force enterprises to provide data on floppy disks after the current calendar year has passed. In the same vein, CD-ROMs exhibit the same behavior with regard to an undetermined number of procedures. On the other hand, there is still a considerable amount of time left until companies can completely transition away from either format.
The employees of Kono discovered that there are approximately 1,900 protocols that are still used in a number of government agencies. These protocols demand the use of floppy disks, CD-ROMs, and even MiniDiscs. In addition, the standards for physical media were applicable to important businesses such as those that supply utilities, mining activities, and manufacturers of aircraft and weapons are included.
It has been brought to the attention of SoraNews24 that there are a couple of primary reasons why there is a drive to discontinue utilizing floppy disks. The fact that floppy disks are not always readily available is a significant factor. The last major manufacturer, Sony, discontinued the sale of these products in the year 2011. One more reason is that certain types of data just cannot be stored on a floppy disk. The 1.4 megabytes of storage capacity that the format offers can easily be exceeded by a single photograph.
The use of floppy disks is still prevalent in a few other sectors of the American economy. The avionics of certain older aircraft, as well as some medical gadgets that are getting on in years, require them. It was not until 2019 that the United States government decided to stop utilizing floppy disks for the purpose of coordinating the deployment of nuclear weapons.