BlueCat Welcomes JISA Delegates to Toronto HQ
Whether it’s translating domain names to IP addresses, or translating English to Japanese, there is never a dull moment at BlueCat.
BlueCat hosted delegates from the Japan Information Technology Service Industry Association (JISA) at its Toronto head office, highlighting the company’s relationship with Japan since acquiring its first Japanese customer, Toyota. The visit included a presentation by CEO Michael Harris on BlueCat’s mission, DNS traffic interpretation, transitions to software-based cloud systems, automation benefits, and cyber threats, emphasizing operational impacts like increased efficiency, centralized operations, and improved network visibility. The meeting reinforced shared industry fundamentals across markets, discussed BlueCat’s expanding Japanese footprint, and underscored how automation can replace manual network changes at scale.
What was the purpose of JISA delegates visiting BlueCat in Toronto?
The JISA delegates visited BlueCat in Toronto to connect with company leadership, learn about BlueCat’s approach to understanding and interpreting DNS traffic, and discuss industry trends such as transitions to software-based cloud systems, automation benefits, and cyber threats. The visit, arranged in conjunction with the Canadian Embassy, also served to strengthen BlueCat’s relationship with the Japanese IT community, reflect on the company’s history in Japan starting with its first customer Toyota, and explore how fundamentals like automation and security apply across markets.
What operational advantages did BlueCat emphasize during the presentation?
BlueCat emphasized operational advantages including leveraging DNS to improve efficiency, centralizing operations, and increasing network visibility. The presentation contrasted manual and automated change processes, illustrating the scale benefit with an example of 300 manual changes per day versus 100,000 automatic changes per hour. BlueCat also discussed how automation supports inevitable transitions to software-based cloud systems and helps address cyber threats by enabling more consistent and scalable network management practices.
How did the visit reflect BlueCat’s relationship with the Japanese market?
The visit highlighted Japan as an important market for BlueCat, noting a longstanding connection that began with acquiring its first Japanese customer, Toyota, which led to subsequent wins. The delegation from JISA—an organization of over 600 members—provided an opportunity to deepen ties, share BlueCat’s mission and goals, and showcase the company’s growing Japanese footprint. Cultural exchange during the visit reinforced common industry vocabulary and shared priorities like firewall, cyber security, and automation, demonstrating that core challenges and solutions transcend language and geography.
Whether it’s translating domain names to IP addresses, or translating English to Japanese, there is never a dull moment at BlueCat. Ever since we landed our first Japanese client, Toyota, Japan holds a special place in our hearts.

Last week, in conjunction with the Canadian Embassy, we extended a warm welcome, or shall we say a warm yōkoso, to a group of JISA delegates who made the trip from Japan to our Toronto head office. JISA, the Japan Information Technology Service Industry Association, is a business network of over 600 members that promotes development and growth in the IT industry, both within Japan and overseas.
CEO Michael Harris gave our visitors a presentation outlining our mission, our goals and our approach to understanding and interpreting DNS traffic. With Japan as one of our most important markets, it was a great opportunity to connect with JISA members in person to discuss inevitable transitions to software-based cloud systems, advantages of automation, cyber threats, and our growing Japanese footprint.
While our respective markets may operate differently, fundamentals remain the same. Michael shared the story of acquiring our first customer and getting a toehold in the Japanese market, after which, many wins followed. No matter where you’re located, leveraging the power of DNS to improve efficiency, centralize your operations, and increase your network visibility is always a good thing. After all, what would you choose: 300 manual changes per day or 100,000 automatic changes per hour?
JISA taught us that “firewall”, “cyber security” and “automation” are just a few words that are the same in both English and Japanese; however, those aren’t the only things that transcended our language barrier. Our guests also taught us that the more we expand our horizons, the more we realize we’re all speaking the same language, no matter where we’re from. (And a traditional gift exchange never hurts.)