USA: Here's the latest update from Converge Market Insights.
Strong demand from China for TV panels led the recovery in the LCD business in early 2009. As production capacities expanded, however, most panel makers remained cautious about the market outlook in 2010.
One reason is fear of surplus, particularly when sales numbers fell below expectations during China's Golden Week holidays in early October. Sony's aggressive pricing strategy and its recent collaboration with Foxconn have also created concerns among panel makers about diminishing profits for TV panels. As a result, TV panels will likely continue a downtrend in pricing in the near future.
Since LEDs found their way into many LCD panels and replaced traditional cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) as the light source, there has been an ongoing shortage of models with CCFLs. The trend has intensified, particularly on 14.1", 15.0", 15.4" and some 17.0" panels.
Many of these models were discontinued in the past six to 12 months. With just a quick look at the recent demand from the service industry, it is apparent that 14.1" to 15.4" panels are in the highest demand in today's market. It is estimated that this trend will continue well into 2010. The market prices on these highly allocated sizes are expected to continue to rise due to this shortage.
The market for desktop monitor panels has been rather quiet, compared with netbooks and televisions. Pricing remains stable as neither demand nor supply has fluctuated significantly.
The introduction of Windows 7, with its newly incorporated touch screen capability, is speculated to ignite a new wave of demand for desktop panels. Currently, the market impact has been modest and will likely continue to be so until more users and software makers begin to adopt Microsoft’s new operating system.
The industrial LCD market continues its calm and steady pace. There may be some short-term instability in the supply chain once the rumored merger between Canon and Hitachi takes place, but the impact is expected to be minimal as each company has a rather modest footprint in the panel industry.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Western European car telematics market booms
EL SEGUNDO, USA: Sales of automotive telematics systems in Western Europe are set to rise by a factor of five during the period from 2008 to 2016 as carmakers offer more telematics-equipped models in the region, according to iSuppli Corp.
Western European telematics sales are expected to reach 24.8 million systems by 2016, expanding at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 22.5 percent from 4.9 million systems in 2008.
The figure presents iSuppli’s forecast of unit shipments for car telematics systems in Western Europe.
Source: iSuppli
“Automotive telematics is defined as the integrated use of telecommunications and informatics, allowing the sending and receiving of information,” said Anna Buettner, analyst for automotive electronics at iSuppli.
“Telematics can provide a range of benefits to motorists, from notifying an emergency operator when a car’s airbags have been deployed, to reporting vehicle conditions to a remote monitoring center.”
Two major types of telematics solutions are being offered on the market: embedded systems, whose functionality is integrated into the headunit of cars; and mobile-device oriented systems, which use a wireless product like a cell phone to communicate information.
“iSuppli believes that embedded and mobile-device-based telematics systems will continue to coexist in the car market in Western Europe and elsewhere,” Buettner said.
“Embedded solutions are suitable for high-end luxury models, while mobile-device-oriented systems can bring telematics services to high-volume, entry-level cars. Regardless of which approach is used, pipes used for communications and delivery of content will become increasingly transparent and will be modified to cater to a vast array of data types.”
Import efforts
GM’s main auto sales in Europe are through the Opel brand, which is sold as Vauxhall in the United Kingdom. The company also owns the smaller Saab, Cadillac and Chevrolet brands.
GM’s telematics sales in Western Europe are projected to grow to more than 1.4 million units in 2016, rising at a CAGR of more than 41 percent from 210,000 million in 2008. GM currently offers only mobile-device-based telematics systems.
Ford is expected to introduce the Sync system in Europe in 2011. This should increase its mobile-device telematics system shipments in the region to more than 1.7 million systems in 2016, rising at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 31 percent from 190,000 in 2008.
The Japanese brands are not as strong in Europe as they are in North America, so their telematics sales will be much lower in the region. Toyota, which maintains the largest auto sales among the Japanese brands in Western Europe, will have the highest telematics sales there—growing to 990,000 units in 2016, up at a CAGR of 31 percent from 110,000 in 2008. The Japanese leader most likely will bring an embedded solution to the market in the near future.
Domestic telematics
The Top-6 European auto manufacturers collectively control about 64 percent of the Western European auto market.
PSA now has the highest telematics sales in Europe due to its use of both embedded and mobile-device systems. Company sales are forecasted to grow to 3.1 million systems in 2016, up from nearly 620,000 in 2008. Embedded systems accounted for 42 percent of PSA’s 2008 telematics sales.
VW’s telematics sales are projected to grow to nearly 3.2 million units in 2016, increasing at a CAGR of more than 26 percent from 490,000 systems in 2008. While the company’s four brands currently use only mobile device telematics systems, the German OEM is expected to introduce an embedded telematics system in the future.
Fiat’s three brands will sell 2.3 million units in 2016, up at a CAGR of 27 percent from 340,000 in 2008. Embedded systems accounted for about 20 percent of Fiat’s telematics sales in 2008.
Renault has been slow to adopt telematics and has just recently added mobile device systems. Renault’s telematics sales are projected to grow to 1.6 million units in 2016, rising at a CAGR of 30 percent from 190,000 in 2008.
The two main luxury brands in Europe, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, already sell a high percentage of their autos with telematics systems.
BMW uses both embedded and mobile device telematics systems. Company telematics sales will rise to more than 1.3 million units in 2016, up at a CAGR of 16 percent from 390,000 in 2008.
Mercedes-Benz currently sells only mobile-device telematics systems. Sales of Mercedes-Benz telematics systems are forecasted to grow to 1.4 million systems in 2016, expanding at a CAGR of almost 20 percent from 320,000 in 2008. Similar to Toyota/Lexus and Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz also is expected to introduce an embedded telematics solution for its future offerings.
Source: iSuppli, USA
Western European telematics sales are expected to reach 24.8 million systems by 2016, expanding at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 22.5 percent from 4.9 million systems in 2008.
The figure presents iSuppli’s forecast of unit shipments for car telematics systems in Western Europe.
Source: iSuppli“Automotive telematics is defined as the integrated use of telecommunications and informatics, allowing the sending and receiving of information,” said Anna Buettner, analyst for automotive electronics at iSuppli.
“Telematics can provide a range of benefits to motorists, from notifying an emergency operator when a car’s airbags have been deployed, to reporting vehicle conditions to a remote monitoring center.”
Two major types of telematics solutions are being offered on the market: embedded systems, whose functionality is integrated into the headunit of cars; and mobile-device oriented systems, which use a wireless product like a cell phone to communicate information.
“iSuppli believes that embedded and mobile-device-based telematics systems will continue to coexist in the car market in Western Europe and elsewhere,” Buettner said.
“Embedded solutions are suitable for high-end luxury models, while mobile-device-oriented systems can bring telematics services to high-volume, entry-level cars. Regardless of which approach is used, pipes used for communications and delivery of content will become increasingly transparent and will be modified to cater to a vast array of data types.”
Import efforts
GM’s main auto sales in Europe are through the Opel brand, which is sold as Vauxhall in the United Kingdom. The company also owns the smaller Saab, Cadillac and Chevrolet brands.
GM’s telematics sales in Western Europe are projected to grow to more than 1.4 million units in 2016, rising at a CAGR of more than 41 percent from 210,000 million in 2008. GM currently offers only mobile-device-based telematics systems.
Ford is expected to introduce the Sync system in Europe in 2011. This should increase its mobile-device telematics system shipments in the region to more than 1.7 million systems in 2016, rising at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 31 percent from 190,000 in 2008.
The Japanese brands are not as strong in Europe as they are in North America, so their telematics sales will be much lower in the region. Toyota, which maintains the largest auto sales among the Japanese brands in Western Europe, will have the highest telematics sales there—growing to 990,000 units in 2016, up at a CAGR of 31 percent from 110,000 in 2008. The Japanese leader most likely will bring an embedded solution to the market in the near future.
Domestic telematics
The Top-6 European auto manufacturers collectively control about 64 percent of the Western European auto market.
PSA now has the highest telematics sales in Europe due to its use of both embedded and mobile-device systems. Company sales are forecasted to grow to 3.1 million systems in 2016, up from nearly 620,000 in 2008. Embedded systems accounted for 42 percent of PSA’s 2008 telematics sales.
VW’s telematics sales are projected to grow to nearly 3.2 million units in 2016, increasing at a CAGR of more than 26 percent from 490,000 systems in 2008. While the company’s four brands currently use only mobile device telematics systems, the German OEM is expected to introduce an embedded telematics system in the future.
Fiat’s three brands will sell 2.3 million units in 2016, up at a CAGR of 27 percent from 340,000 in 2008. Embedded systems accounted for about 20 percent of Fiat’s telematics sales in 2008.
Renault has been slow to adopt telematics and has just recently added mobile device systems. Renault’s telematics sales are projected to grow to 1.6 million units in 2016, rising at a CAGR of 30 percent from 190,000 in 2008.
The two main luxury brands in Europe, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, already sell a high percentage of their autos with telematics systems.
BMW uses both embedded and mobile device telematics systems. Company telematics sales will rise to more than 1.3 million units in 2016, up at a CAGR of 16 percent from 390,000 in 2008.
Mercedes-Benz currently sells only mobile-device telematics systems. Sales of Mercedes-Benz telematics systems are forecasted to grow to 1.4 million systems in 2016, expanding at a CAGR of almost 20 percent from 320,000 in 2008. Similar to Toyota/Lexus and Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz also is expected to introduce an embedded telematics solution for its future offerings.
Source: iSuppli, USA
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Logitech to acquire LifeSize Communications
MUMBAI, INDIA: Logitech International (SIX: LOGN) (Nasdaq: LOGI), a leader in PC video communication, has agreed to acquire privately held LifeSize Communications of Austin, Texas for $405 million in cash.
LifeSize is a global leader in high definition (HD) video communication solutions, with more than 9,000 video conferencing customers across 80 countries in large enterprises, small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) and public healthcare, education and government organizations.
LifeSize’s industry leading HD video conferencing solutions provide superior quality of experience and are flexible, easy to use, install and manage – with unmatched price/performance.
Craig Malloy, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, LifeSize, said: “Logitech and LifeSize plan to pursue existing and new relationships with unified communications, collaboration and VoIP industry partners and competitors to drive the development of an open eco-system for interoperable video communication. We believe that together with Logitech, we can realize that vision for all enterprises –- private and public –- and small and medium businesses. Our combined proven innovation can accelerate mainstream adoption of video communication by anyone, anywhere.”
LifeSize was founded on the vision of providing life-like visual-communication solutions to change the way the world communicates.
Gerald P. Quindlen, Logitech, President & CEO, said: “We expect this acquisition to enable Logitech to extend our leadership in video communication beyond the desktop. Together, we can make life-like, HD-quality video communication as mainstream and seamless as a telephone, for meeting participants in the boardroom, at their office desk, in a remote-location meeting room, telecommuting from home or on the go with a laptop.”
Logitech and LifeSize also expect to further video communication growth by leveraging their combined technology expertise as well as Logitech’s world-class manufacturing and supply chain operations, extensive R&D, expertise in user experience and globally recognized brand.
Logitech plans for LifeSize to operate as a separate division in Austin under the leadership of Malloy as the LifeSize Communications CEO, reporting to Quindlen.
LifeSize expects approximately $90 million in revenue in CY 2009, with CY 2010 revenue expected to grow between 40 percent and 60 percent. Logitech expects the acquisition to be neutral to slightly positive to its operating income (excluding acquisition-related charges) in FY 2011, ending March 31, 2011, and positive thereafter.
LifeSize is a global leader in high definition (HD) video communication solutions, with more than 9,000 video conferencing customers across 80 countries in large enterprises, small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) and public healthcare, education and government organizations.
LifeSize’s industry leading HD video conferencing solutions provide superior quality of experience and are flexible, easy to use, install and manage – with unmatched price/performance.
Craig Malloy, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, LifeSize, said: “Logitech and LifeSize plan to pursue existing and new relationships with unified communications, collaboration and VoIP industry partners and competitors to drive the development of an open eco-system for interoperable video communication. We believe that together with Logitech, we can realize that vision for all enterprises –- private and public –- and small and medium businesses. Our combined proven innovation can accelerate mainstream adoption of video communication by anyone, anywhere.”
LifeSize was founded on the vision of providing life-like visual-communication solutions to change the way the world communicates.
Gerald P. Quindlen, Logitech, President & CEO, said: “We expect this acquisition to enable Logitech to extend our leadership in video communication beyond the desktop. Together, we can make life-like, HD-quality video communication as mainstream and seamless as a telephone, for meeting participants in the boardroom, at their office desk, in a remote-location meeting room, telecommuting from home or on the go with a laptop.”
Logitech and LifeSize also expect to further video communication growth by leveraging their combined technology expertise as well as Logitech’s world-class manufacturing and supply chain operations, extensive R&D, expertise in user experience and globally recognized brand.
Logitech plans for LifeSize to operate as a separate division in Austin under the leadership of Malloy as the LifeSize Communications CEO, reporting to Quindlen.
LifeSize expects approximately $90 million in revenue in CY 2009, with CY 2010 revenue expected to grow between 40 percent and 60 percent. Logitech expects the acquisition to be neutral to slightly positive to its operating income (excluding acquisition-related charges) in FY 2011, ending March 31, 2011, and positive thereafter.
ASUS intros Designo MS Series LCD monitors
MUMBAI, INDIA: ASUS unveiled the brand new ultra-slim Designo MS Series LCD monitors MS246/ 236/ 202 to astound users with a perfect combination of exceptional style and picture quality.
The design concept behind the Designo MS Series is inspired by the binary state, incorporating a series of contrasting elements like the numbers 1 and 0, straight lines and circles, and black and white into an ultra-slim monitor with a 16.5mm profile.
The unique spherical ring stand features Ergo-Fit Technology that lets users adjust the monitor's tilt angle with just one finger. The Designo MS Series' ergonomic design puts the screen at eye level for a comfortable and productive dual screen computing experience when deployed as a notebook's supplementary monitor.
It further astounds with its crisp visuals in Full HD 1080p, 50,000:1 contrast ratio, 2ms response time and ASUS Splendid™ Video Intelligence Technology, along with an extra 40% in power savings. Amazing visuals in a head-turning package-it is simply as good as it gets.
"The MS Series of LCD monitors is our offering to design conscious customers looking for an alternative solution to the run of the mill offerings currently present in the LCD market. These monitors are designed to not only provide high levels of visual entertainment but to also add style and appeal to your living room or workspace.
"The launch of this series of monitors is in sync with our plans of more aggressive engagement in the LCD market in the coming year and to expand our product offerings in this segment." Commented Mr. Vinay Shetty, Country Head - Component and LCD Business ASUS (India) about the launch of these monitors in India.
This new range of LCD monitors will be distributed across India by Rashi Peripherals Pvt Ltd. through their network of channel partners.
The design concept behind the Designo MS Series is inspired by the binary state, incorporating a series of contrasting elements like the numbers 1 and 0, straight lines and circles, and black and white into an ultra-slim monitor with a 16.5mm profile.
The unique spherical ring stand features Ergo-Fit Technology that lets users adjust the monitor's tilt angle with just one finger. The Designo MS Series' ergonomic design puts the screen at eye level for a comfortable and productive dual screen computing experience when deployed as a notebook's supplementary monitor.
It further astounds with its crisp visuals in Full HD 1080p, 50,000:1 contrast ratio, 2ms response time and ASUS Splendid™ Video Intelligence Technology, along with an extra 40% in power savings. Amazing visuals in a head-turning package-it is simply as good as it gets.
"The MS Series of LCD monitors is our offering to design conscious customers looking for an alternative solution to the run of the mill offerings currently present in the LCD market. These monitors are designed to not only provide high levels of visual entertainment but to also add style and appeal to your living room or workspace.
"The launch of this series of monitors is in sync with our plans of more aggressive engagement in the LCD market in the coming year and to expand our product offerings in this segment." Commented Mr. Vinay Shetty, Country Head - Component and LCD Business ASUS (India) about the launch of these monitors in India.
This new range of LCD monitors will be distributed across India by Rashi Peripherals Pvt Ltd. through their network of channel partners.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Ready, Set, Read: Intel Reader transforms printed text to spoken word
SANTA CLARA, USA: Intel Corp. announced the Intel Reader, a mobile handheld device designed to increase independence for people who have trouble reading standard print.
The Intel Reader can assist the estimated 55 million people in the US who have dyslexia or other specific learning disabilities, or have vision problems such as low-vision or blindness, which makes reading printed words difficult or impossible.
The Intel Reader, about the size of a paperback book, converts printed text to digital text, and then reads it aloud to the user. Its unique design combines a high-resolution camera with the power of an Intel Atom processor, allowing users to point, shoot and listen to printed text.
The Intel Reader will be available in the United States through select resellers, including CTL, Don Johnston Inc., GTSI, Howard Technology Solutions and HumanWare.
When the Intel Reader is used together with the Intel Portable Capture Station, large amounts of text, such as a chapter or an entire book, can be easily captured for reading later. Users will have convenient and flexible access to a variety of printed materials, helping to not only increase their freedom, but improve their productivity and efficiency at school, work and home.
The Intel Reader has been endorsed by the International Dyslexia Association as an important advance in assistive technology. Additionally, Intel is working with the Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs, the Council for Exceptional Children, Lighthouse International, the National Center for Learning Disabilities and the National Federation of the Blind to help reach and address the needs of people who have difficulty reading print.
"The Intel Digital Health Group's expertise is in finding innovative technology solutions to improve quality of life," said Louis Burns, vice president and general manager of Intel's Digital Health Group. "We are proud to offer the Intel Reader as a tool for people who have trouble reading standard print so they can more easily access the information many of us take for granted every day, such as reading a job offer letter or even the menu at a restaurant."
The original concept for the Intel Reader came from Ben Foss, a researcher at Intel who was identified in elementary school as one of the estimated 20 percent of people nationwide who have symptoms of dyslexia. Throughout high school, college and graduate school, he had to depend on others to read to him or work through the slow process of getting words off of a page himself. As an adult, much of the content he wanted, from professional journals to pleasure reading, just wasn't available in audio form.
"As someone who is part of this dyslexic community, I am thrilled to be able to help level the playing field for people who, like me, do not have easy access to the printed word," Foss said.
"Feelings of loneliness are often the experience of not being able to read easily. We hope to open the doors for people in these communities. The Intel Reader is a tool that can help give people with dyslexia, low-vision, blindness or other reading-based disabilities access to the resources they need to participate and be successful in school, work and life."
The Intel Reader can assist the estimated 55 million people in the US who have dyslexia or other specific learning disabilities, or have vision problems such as low-vision or blindness, which makes reading printed words difficult or impossible.
The Intel Reader, about the size of a paperback book, converts printed text to digital text, and then reads it aloud to the user. Its unique design combines a high-resolution camera with the power of an Intel Atom processor, allowing users to point, shoot and listen to printed text.
The Intel Reader will be available in the United States through select resellers, including CTL, Don Johnston Inc., GTSI, Howard Technology Solutions and HumanWare.
When the Intel Reader is used together with the Intel Portable Capture Station, large amounts of text, such as a chapter or an entire book, can be easily captured for reading later. Users will have convenient and flexible access to a variety of printed materials, helping to not only increase their freedom, but improve their productivity and efficiency at school, work and home.
The Intel Reader has been endorsed by the International Dyslexia Association as an important advance in assistive technology. Additionally, Intel is working with the Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs, the Council for Exceptional Children, Lighthouse International, the National Center for Learning Disabilities and the National Federation of the Blind to help reach and address the needs of people who have difficulty reading print.
"The Intel Digital Health Group's expertise is in finding innovative technology solutions to improve quality of life," said Louis Burns, vice president and general manager of Intel's Digital Health Group. "We are proud to offer the Intel Reader as a tool for people who have trouble reading standard print so they can more easily access the information many of us take for granted every day, such as reading a job offer letter or even the menu at a restaurant."
The original concept for the Intel Reader came from Ben Foss, a researcher at Intel who was identified in elementary school as one of the estimated 20 percent of people nationwide who have symptoms of dyslexia. Throughout high school, college and graduate school, he had to depend on others to read to him or work through the slow process of getting words off of a page himself. As an adult, much of the content he wanted, from professional journals to pleasure reading, just wasn't available in audio form.
"As someone who is part of this dyslexic community, I am thrilled to be able to help level the playing field for people who, like me, do not have easy access to the printed word," Foss said.
"Feelings of loneliness are often the experience of not being able to read easily. We hope to open the doors for people in these communities. The Intel Reader is a tool that can help give people with dyslexia, low-vision, blindness or other reading-based disabilities access to the resources they need to participate and be successful in school, work and life."
ZyXEL intros smart home gateway for health monitoring applications
ANAHEIM, USA: ZyXEL Communications Inc. has introduced the Smart Home Gateway (SHG), a rugged, pocket-sized, battery powered wireless router.
In addition to providing wireless Internet connectivity through fixed broadband (ADSL/Cable) and 3G/4G broadband, it also enables multiple applications including state-of-the-art, real-time health monitoring through home networks. The SHG has been chosen as a 2010 CES Innovations Honoree for Health and Wellness category.
The SHG series is a breakthrough device for health monitoring applications. Via one of its two USB ports, it can connect to IEEE11073 USB, Bluetooth and Zigbee-compliant medical sensors to send real-time data from heath monitoring devices or smart home sensors such as blood-sugar or heart rate readings to remote healthcare providers.
Healthcare providers are under regulatory pressure to reduce costs through early detection and prevention, and millions of baby boomers are entering the phase that requires greater healthcare support. This has opened up immense market potential and new revenue opportunities for Value Added Resellers (VARs) and solutions providers who can use the SHG to offer remote health monitoring services to healthcare providers.
Health monitoring services are grouped into three main types –- vital sign monitoring like blood pressure etc., disease management like diabetes and hypertension and aging independently that includes bed pressure and other emergency sensors.
In addition to its supreme durability and form factor, the SHG offers robust, always-on Internet connectivity with support for both fixed (DSL/Cable) and mobile broadband (3G/4G), along with fail-over protection and battery for back-up in case of power outages. Moreover, the SHG has two USB and Ethernet ports each and is 11n-compatible for Wi-Fi data rates up to 150 Mbps.
“ZyXEL strives for purposeful innovations that improve the quality of life for our users and at the same time drive new revenue streams for our channel partners,” said Dana Patrick, director of North American channels for ZyXEL. “The SHG was designed in that vision and we appreciate the support and encouragement we have received for this product from the CES Innovations committee.”
In addition to providing wireless Internet connectivity through fixed broadband (ADSL/Cable) and 3G/4G broadband, it also enables multiple applications including state-of-the-art, real-time health monitoring through home networks. The SHG has been chosen as a 2010 CES Innovations Honoree for Health and Wellness category.
The SHG series is a breakthrough device for health monitoring applications. Via one of its two USB ports, it can connect to IEEE11073 USB, Bluetooth and Zigbee-compliant medical sensors to send real-time data from heath monitoring devices or smart home sensors such as blood-sugar or heart rate readings to remote healthcare providers.
Healthcare providers are under regulatory pressure to reduce costs through early detection and prevention, and millions of baby boomers are entering the phase that requires greater healthcare support. This has opened up immense market potential and new revenue opportunities for Value Added Resellers (VARs) and solutions providers who can use the SHG to offer remote health monitoring services to healthcare providers.
Health monitoring services are grouped into three main types –- vital sign monitoring like blood pressure etc., disease management like diabetes and hypertension and aging independently that includes bed pressure and other emergency sensors.
In addition to its supreme durability and form factor, the SHG offers robust, always-on Internet connectivity with support for both fixed (DSL/Cable) and mobile broadband (3G/4G), along with fail-over protection and battery for back-up in case of power outages. Moreover, the SHG has two USB and Ethernet ports each and is 11n-compatible for Wi-Fi data rates up to 150 Mbps.
“ZyXEL strives for purposeful innovations that improve the quality of life for our users and at the same time drive new revenue streams for our channel partners,” said Dana Patrick, director of North American channels for ZyXEL. “The SHG was designed in that vision and we appreciate the support and encouragement we have received for this product from the CES Innovations committee.”
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