“Sharp has fallen on hard times again,” declared an at times shocking report in the Nikkei this week. The statement comes in the wake of the company announcing on Tuesday that, rather than their forecast of a profit for the current fiscal year, the company will in fact book a net loss. And this disappointing news will almost certainly drive the call for a much more drastic restructuring than has been accomplished in the past – with the company reportedly considering pulling out of the television business in North America altogether.
Industry Trends
Toshiba Takes A Hike – Drops TV Biz Everywhere But Japan
Toshiba Corp. announced late yesterday that it has decided to exit the TV business in all export markets, including North America. The move shocked some, but those who follow the trends in the TV business were not surprised at all as Japanese manufacturers have struggled to maintain viability in a low profitability category with declining demand.
See more on Toshiba’s industry reshaping decision… [Read more…] about Toshiba Takes A Hike – Drops TV Biz Everywhere But Japan
SpringDeck Partners with Relidy to Offer New Solution to Integrators
SpringDeck, a sales presentation software company, has partnered with Relidy Marketing to offer integrators a new service that will help them showcase products on their website in a way that will ensure they retain ownership of the prospect/customer. The service is all-new and only available through this partnership.
See more on how SpringDeck and Relidy help integrators serve…and keep…their customers… [Read more…] about SpringDeck Partners with Relidy to Offer New Solution to Integrators
Future Ready Solutions Launches a New Kind of Connectivity Supplier
Adds Kordz to Its Line-Up of Select Connectivity Solutions
On the eve of the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show we received the announcement of the launch of a new kind of connectivity supplier called Future Ready Solutions (FRS). Launched by Bodley & Associates founder Eric Bodley, we have learned that FRS is a distinctly different kind of company – sort of a hybrid really – seeking to set the standard as your preferred provider of mission-critical connectivity solutions.
Learn more about this new kind of hybrid supplier of connectivity solutions… [Read more…] about Future Ready Solutions Launches a New Kind of Connectivity Supplier
Samsung Launches New SUHD TVs
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the undisputed global leader in TVs and other key products, launched its CES 2015 press conference in a pattern familiar to those of us who have attended them over the years. But there was one moment in this carefully scripted presentation this year that caught our attention…a moment unlike any other we’ve experienced before at a Samsung presentation. It was a moment when the company actually sounded a touch…defensive.
See what happened during the Samsung presentation that surprised us… [Read more…] about Samsung Launches New SUHD TVs
CES 2015 Opens with Great Fanfare, But No Real Surprises
Like a carefully scripted political debate, Day 0 of CES (Day 1 for most of the press) opened with great fanfare…but offered no real surprises. Day 0 – officially known as Press Day – is an endless series of press conferences in which major manufacturers make their significant announcements and present their plans for 2015. And this year these press conferences, for the most part, followed their expected path – not even a Michael Bay meltdown emerged to spice it up a bit like last year!
See the major themes emerging from the Press Day presentations… [Read more…] about CES 2015 Opens with Great Fanfare, But No Real Surprises
2014 – We Look Back at a Remarkable Year
What a remarkable year 2014 was, don’t you think? I suppose we could say that about almost any year, but in TECH we’ve seen some amazing trends that will have a lasting impact into 2015 and beyond. So in this article, we look back on some of the more remarkable events of 2014.
See our take on the most impactful trends of 2014… [Read more…] about 2014 – We Look Back at a Remarkable Year
Bullish on 2015, Japan’s Electronics & IT Companies Boost Production Plans
Japanese consumer electronics and information technology companies appear to be quite bullish on 2015 and have put plans in place to boost production levels, according to Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association. The association released the results of an industry-wide survey earlier this week that show the stage is set for another year of growth.
See more on the plans of Japan’s TECH companies… [Read more…] about Bullish on 2015, Japan’s Electronics & IT Companies Boost Production Plans
Strange Bedfellows? Dish Adds Netflix to Its Hopper Box
Dish Network Corp. announced today that it is the first major pay-TV provider in the U.S. to integrate the Netflix app into its set-top box. With this system, available on their second generation Hopper, users can access their favorite Netflix movies and shows, such as House of Cards and Orange is the New Black. And this Netflix content resides side-by-side with “linear” TV channels.
See more on this pairing of strange bedfellows… [Read more…] about Strange Bedfellows? Dish Adds Netflix to Its Hopper Box
The Revolving Door for Managers at Kaleidescape… Spins Again
Imagine, if you will, working at a company serving a channel in which yours is the only significant participant with no major competitors – you own the segment. Not only that, but dealers love your product, the press sings holy hosannas over the quality and performance of your line, a major [legal] black cloud is behind you, and the future appears to be bright. Must be an idyllic existence…right?
At Kaleidescape, Inc., the industry’s most prominent brand of media servers, it appears to be an idyllic existence only if you are one of the two founders – Michael Malcolm and Cheena Srinivasan. For other top managers, the pressure must be constant, as there appears to be a spinning revolving door – or so it would seem as we learn again this week of more top managers exiting the company.
