Zheng Jun, from the bottom of the U.S. Silicon Valley
冰火两重天
Kodak and Fuji, yellow and green, a pair of old film era enemy, who dominate the global imaging market, along with generations of growth. Into the digital age, the two dominant traditions also suffered shock, but now the fate of the opposite directions, a happy one worry.
2012 年 1 19, Eastman Kodak Company in New York, based on For 131 years the image set up giant Kodak, the glorious history has finally come to an end. Kodak stock accumulated in the past year fell 88%, now only $ 0.55, the market value of less than $ 150 million.
the same month, Fuji Photo Film in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) released the heavyweight single-camera X Pro 1, and is considering investing in financial scandals of the traditional Austrian optical company Lin Basi (microblogging), to expand the optical business. The current market value of nearly $ 12 billion Fujitsu, annual revenues of nearly $ 50 billion.
is also a traditional film makers, also suffered the impact of digital imaging, Kodak and Fuji out why two completely opposite track, showing 冰火两重天 fate?
digital pioneers
Kodak film era is the undisputed king, but the same can be said, Kodak film to bring a glorious history, the infinite glory, huge profits, leading them reluctant to walk out of the comfort zone, unresponsive to the digital imaging market that has been abandoned.
1975, Kodak Laboratories developed the world’s first digital camera in 1991, Nikon introduced the first digital SLR technology, DCS 100, a few years later introduced the first fool (Point and Shot) digital the camera. It can be said, the inventor of the Kodak digital imaging.
if Kodak film is not so obsessed with the huge profits, while the use of its leading technology, vigorously develop the digital camera business, perhaps today’s market, Kodak is still dominate. But the result was the opposite, the inventor of the digital camera market, but eventually abandoned.
was Kodak digital imaging technology for high-level there are two aspects of concern: on the one hand fear will erode the film digital imaging market, the impact of the company’s huge profits; the other hand, people print photos that preserve the memory of the preferred means of photo-processing market reluctantly, prepared for the digital age.
fried floor is useless
2000-2003, Kodak film profits fell 70%. Until this time, Kodak realized that digital is the general trend, when Kodak announced a freeze on investment in the film business and began looking for transformation of the way, but in 2007, determined to blow up the film to form the building. But this symbolic act did not bring to the market value of Kodak changed.
Although Kodak digital sensor technology has take the lead, but they still failed to innovation into practical business opportunities. Kodak digital camera also occupy a certain market share in the U.S., but due to technical update is slow, unattractive price, the Canon, Nikon, Sony and other Japanese manufacturers under siege, sales continued to decline.
in sensor technology, Kodak’s R & D progress is very slow. Although Kodak CCD color imaging technology there are still advantages, but has failed to effectively address the problem of high sense, in addition to high prices, only a few other manufacturers are still using Leica Kodak CCD. Has been widely used digital SLR CMOS sensor, the CCD market by Sony, Fuji and other manufacturers take.
have to build the world’s first digital camera in 2005, Kodak had to renounce the digital SLR and then in 2006 transferred to Singapore, a digital camera Flextronics, completely out of the digital camera market. Last November, the Kodak CCD sensor even sold to private sector companies Platium Equity. Kodak digital technology was the creator of the first to abandon the digital era.
Fuji a medical
times in the film is always pressing a Kodak Fuji, they will have to resolutely on the road to digital much more. Although until 1997 Introduced the first consumer digital camera, but since 1999, developed Super CCD technology, Fujitsu has been making great efforts to develop their digital businesses. In 2002, Kodak digital products accounted for only 25%, while Fuji has reached 60%.
as with Kodak, Fuji film digital business has been affected pounding. However, Fuji is not nostalgia former glory, but on a large scale business transformation. 2004, Fuji Film massive contraction of business, the global large-scale layoffs.
Fuji film is no longer a core business, in order to expand the digital camera market, they vigorously developed Super CCD technology, the camera manufacturers from Sendai, Japan, moved to Suzhou, China, to reduce costs. Fuji’s CCD has a unique technical advantages, but also Japan and the world of the few complete technology for digital camera manufacturers (Fuji, Sony, Canon, Sigma) one.
Fuji also through acquisitions into the lucrative health care market, their medical services currently include drug development, radiation equipment, medical optical instruments, and even entered the cosmetics market. 2008, Fuji decided to focus on health care as a future business, business image proportion dropped to three percent or less.
betting printer
Kodak film era may be too successful, their transformation of the way quite a bit The general trend has been evident in the digital case, Kodak still reluctant to give up printing market chains. In 2002, the number of Kodak China up to more than 8,000 print shop. Although Kodak has taken measures to re-post these shops, but also cost a precious lot of money.
no improvement in addition to digital imaging in addition, in 2003, Kodak began in the commercial printing and medical imaging aspects of the expansion and acquisitions, but with little success. In 2005, worked in Hewlett-Packard (microblogging) leading printing unit Perez (Antonio Perez) as Kodak CEO.
Perez would like to have a successful track in the HP printer continues to Kodak, Kodak has been in recent years to develop printer technology. But with the shift from ink jet laser printer, the lack of technology, Kodak has failed to take advantage of the market.
In addition, Kodak stubbornly believe that consumers will choose after the picture is printed to save, it has been optimistic about the photo printing and terminal markets. But with the Internet into the social era, users are more used to save pictures in digital form, and through a network share. Kodak’s wrong to judge the market direction, once again miss the transformation opportunities.
bankrupt non-end
filed for bankruptcy protection does not mean the end of Kodak, General Motors and other leading U.S. companies have filed for bankruptcy protection, again listed in the reorganization. According to bankruptcy documents submitted by Kodak, they have received from Citigroup $ 950 million fund, and the appointment of FTI Consulting for bankruptcy reorganization.
submitted before the bankruptcy, Kodak to Apple, HTC (microblogging), Samsung (microblogging) and other companies to patent litigation that the companies infringed Kodak digital imaging technology patents. Although these actions failed to save the Kodak bankruptcy, but it shows Kodak’s most valuable asset.
the outside world that, although Kodak’s market value of less than $ 150 million, but as a pioneer in digital imaging, Kodak’s patent worth at least $ 3 billion. In August last year, Kodak announced the sale of 1100 gradually patented digital technology, but because of bankruptcy and can not get the right offer.
basis in view of Kodak filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the court may be Kodak’s patented technology for the auction, which sold more conducive to high prices last year, Microsoft (microblogging), Apple, Google (microblogging) Nortel Networks patent competition is the best example, the last traded price is several times the starting price.
In addition, Kodak bankruptcy can get rid of the heavy burden of employee benefits, without reservation restructuring. Kodak may be the next split into several divisions: the traditional image may become an independent subsidiary, engaged in film and other minority business; Kodak printer business will become the main sectors.
unfortunately Kodak Fuji
January of this year’s CES, Las Vegas Sina science and technology in the Fuji product launches, and visited the Fuji booth. • Keith Baker, general manager of Fuji USA (Kayce Baker) said in an interview, Fuji for Kodak’s situation was very sorry and hope Kodak can continue to do so.
she said, as the film era rivals, the two companies have suffered the impact from film to digital, but for a more resolute Fuji transformation has chosen a clear path of business transformation. The medical services has become a cash cow Fuji, in a strong financial support to continue to invest in R & D Fuji digital camera business.
Kodak filed for bankruptcy protection, is not the end of the film. Although the film is no longer mainstream, there are still large in the film industry needs, there is a demand market. Kodak, Fuji, Yier Fu and other enterprises still continue to produce the next film may become expensive niche boutique (Boutique) market.
brilliant century, eventually to do day. Take a hundred years a technology leader in the giant companies, because they can not adapt to market trends and technology updates, and the rapid decline in a decade and even bankruptcy. Kodak’s brilliant and reduced business school has become a classic textbook. Kodak’s future through bankruptcy, will gradually fade out of sight.
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