As developers gather at CEATEC, tech show is no longer just for consumers

Japan's biggest IT-electronics trade show is at a crossroads. The annual Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies, or CEATEC, kicked off Tuesday in the city of Chiba. Though it earned fame as a major exhibition of consumer electronics such as TVs and home appliances such as washing machines, it now seems to be leaving that image behind. The show's organizer is shifting the focus to the so-called internet of things and related technologies including artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, while also aiming to facilitate business tie-ups between companies in different fields to foster innovation. "When you think of value in our society now, there is not so much value in just releasing some new products," said Hisato Nagao, president of Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association, one of the organizers of CEATEC, which runs through Friday.