The fifteenth general meeting and symposium of the Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organization (ASOCIO) was held in Tokyo in November 1997. At the opening ceremony held on November 10, 1997, a speech was given commemorating the presentation of the ASOCIO IT Award to Dr. Hiroshi INOSE, Director General, NACSIS for his contributions to the development of information technology in Japan through data communications technology.

Previous winners of the IT Award include Oh Myung, South Korean Minister of Construction and Transport, and Lim Swee Say, Director of the National Computer Board of Singapore.