Day 1 - IFA International

international 

Official Daily News Source for International Visitors at IFA 

Welcome to IFA 2007 

More International Than Ever! 

Record participation for second occasion since the show has become an annual event... IFA underlines its vocation as the 

world's veritable international showcase for new CE technologies. 

True International Vocation 

In addition to strong 

representation from the trade 

and industry in the European 

core markets, the IFA is also 

becoming increasingly 

important as a marketing 

instrument for companies in 

Asia and North America. 

“Foreign exhibitors account for 

more than 60 per cent of the 

total, a consequence of the efforts 

to give the IFA a more 

international dimension”, 

according to Dr. Rainer 

Hecker, Chairman of the 

Supervisory Board of the gfu 

(Association for Consumer and 

Communications Electronics). 

At the IFA opening press 

conference, Dr. Christian 

Göke, COO of Messe Berlin, 

expressed his pleasure at the 

return of several major players 

and explained how the event is 

.../ Cont’d. Page 3 

Battle of the 

Smart Phones 

Kicks-off at IFA 

Following the success of its 

Prada and Chocolate 

phones, LG Electronics is 

now aiming to dethrone 

the iPhone with its touchscreen, 

3G HSDPA LG- 

KS20. The phone is one 

millimeter thicker than the 

iPhone and looks similar to 

the Prada model, but packs 

features such as Wi-Fi, an 

MP3 Player and a 7 cm 

screen. The company also 

launched the Viewty, a 

5MP Camera, at its packed 

press-conference. 

.../ Cont’d. Page 24 

Friday 

31st August 

CONTENTS 

01 > HEADLINE NEWS 

07 > MARKET & TECHNOLOGY TRENDS 

10 > MEET THE VISIONARIES 

13 > PRODUCT TRENDS 

23 > CONFERENCE SPOTLIGHT 

25 > TRADE NEWS 

29 > GOING OUT 

EXCLUSIVE 

INTERVIEWS 

Rudy Provoost 

Chief Executive 

Officer of Philips 

Consumer Electronics 

“We are redefining the boundaries of what 

TV is all about. Lifestyle is about fashion, 

art and emotion, and that is what we 

want are radiating and bringing to life 

through the world premiere at IFA.” 

See page 11 

Toshiyuki Tajima 

CEO for Sharp 

Electronics Europe 

“The LCD TV boom has only just 

begun and I believe Europe is a market 

which is only just awaking. This is why 

we are concentrating on Europe as the 

LCD TV market of the future.” 

See page 10 

Hirofumi Wada 

General Manager 

Panasonic 

Thanks to the Advanced PDP 

Development Center Corporation 

(APDC), an R&D company jointly 

established by Hitachi, Pioneer and 

Panasonic, we are working hard on 

developing higher-efficiency panels. 

See page 13

NEWS 

.../ Cont’d. from page 1 

Welcome to IFA 2007 

More International Than Ever! 

now organised: “We are 

delighted that the whole of the 

Messe is being used this year and 

that everyone is back on board. 

We are also very happy with the 

way that the space has been 

separated and organised to 

provide the maximum amount of 

clarity in the overall structure. It 

makes life easier for 

buyers and exhibitors 

and also encourages 

genuine competition 

within each sector.” 

Despite the scale of 

the event and the 

complications that 

this brings, IFA's 

VIDEO 

management is 

determined to 

provide visitors 

with a simple and 

transparent reflection of the 

current state of the market: “In 

the case of content, we asked 

ourselves what type it was, to be 

looked at or listened to and in the 

case of devices, whether they were 

personal or public.” 

We are also very 

happy with the 

way that the space 

has been separated 

and organised to 

provide the 

maximum amount 

of clarity in the 

overall structure. 

Göke also gave the latest 

projected attendance figures for 

IFA 2007 which confirm that 

this year's event is the biggest 

ever with a rented area of 

arround 104,000 square metres 

and record participation by 

1,212 exhibitors from 32 

countries. “With 80 more 

German exhibitors than last 

year, it is clear that the German 

CE market is robustly healthy,” 

Göke said. 

“Equally the number 

of nationalities 

attending has grown, 

with the most 

impressive rise in 

attendance coming 

from Italy, the 

Netherlands and 

Belgium. And our 

pre-registrations 

indicate that this 

year will be another 

banner year for international 

growth with pre-registrations 

currently standing at 99% of the 

total international attendance of 

last year.” 

Between 1999 and 2006 the 

amount of orders placed grew 

by 147% with the 2006 total of 

euros 2.5 billion expected to be 

surpassed this year: “We're 

confident that 2007 will see 

more orders placed and I believe 

that the reason for IFA's success is 

that we offer a better working 

place and are constantly trying to 

improve the ways in which we 

cooperate with exhibitors. 

Consequently we encounter a 

very high degree of satisfaction 

amongst those exhibitors.” 

Alongside an excellent selection 

of keynote speakers which 

kicks off with Philips' Rudy 

Provoost and Norio Niwa of 

Seiko Epson on Friday, 

Guerrino De Luca of Logitech 

and IBM's George Bailey on 

Saturday and Navigon AG's 

Andreas Westhoff on Sunday, 

the event will have several 

innovatory products including 

the first multi-media notebook 

with an HD DVD drive, the 

first camcorder with a Blu-ray 

Disc drive and demonstrations 

of Alcatel's DVB-H / DVB-SH 

mobile broadcast system. 

“We have a major focus on sound 

this year with a record number 

of artists performing in the 

Sommergarten, there are the 

qualifications for the World 

Cyber Games, the world's most 

expensive home entertainment 

system, next-generation media 

and 3D monitors that don't 

require glasses”, Göke said. 

“We are also placing IPTV 

under the spotlight because we 

believe that it has a major role to 

play in the future as an 

alternative carrier that also offers 

VOD, interactive programme 

guides and much more.” 

17 

20 

21 

28 

29 

40 

2017 

21 

28 

29 

651* 210 

58 733* 

279 

68 

122 

IFA International • Friday, 31 th August 2007 

3

Evolving gently with time… 

The Ultimate in Dynamic Aesthetics – 

adding value to any Plasma or LCD TV. 

Each one of these digital works is a 

“creative matrix” that informs and 

regenerates its surrounding environment. 

... welcome to the wonderful 

world of ArtDisplay... 

bringing art and emotion to 

y o u r walls. 

Come to visit us at IFA: Hall 24 - stand 102 (Cleverdis stand)

NEWS 

Dynamic Art Comes Alive at IFA 

IFA and Philips Electronics Open the Way to Dynamic Art 

and a Fabulous Market for Flat Screen Manufacturers 

IFA is a major event per se for 

the future and development of 

Consumer Electronics, but this 

year, the show is at the origin of 

an event of worldwide 

importance going well beyond 

the general evolution of these 

products – the revelation of a 

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During IFA : Press Center – Hall 6.3 • Tel: +49 (0)30 3038 

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Photo Credits and Copyright: All Rights Reserved. 

new major artistic 

movement – 

Dynamic Art. 

Philips 

Underline 

Digital Art 

as Added 

Value 

Philips Electronics, 

global leader in 

lifestyle and technology thanks 

to its ‘sense and simplicity’ 

brand message, clearly knows a 

good idea when it sees one. 

CEO Rudy Provoost, in 

announcing the milestone of 

sales of one million Digital 

Photoframes, said: “The 

millionth Digital PhotoFrame is 

a great milestone for Philips, and 

what better way to celebrate this 

accomplishment than through 

digital art”. Philips has indeed 

started a partnership with 

ArtDisplay, Europe’s leading 

editor of digital art, and is 

showing four original artworks 

on its PhotoFrames at IFA. 

“Our alliance with ArtDisplay 

gives us the opportunity to bring 

high profile digital art into the 

consumer electronics realm", 

concluded Provoost. 

Gérard Lefebvre, President & 

CEO of Cleverdis, global 

specialists in the analysis of 

audiovisual markets, underlines 

the importance of the 

movement: “ArtDisplay also 

represents an extraordinary 

opportunity for all flat-screen TV 

makers: this is a major new 

innovation, and not only in 

terms of providing a platform for 

the wider appreciation of fine 

art. The humble television is 

transformed into a work of art 

and I firmly believe that this 

presents an opportunity to boost 

sales for all TV makers by giving 

the screen a whole new usage as a 

canvas and as a display for 

digital works. This idea perfectly 

compliments the efforts made by 

constructors to house their screens 

in attractive casing that 

compliments lifestyle desires. It 

will also act as a USP for the 

first manufacturers to offer art 

integrated in to their products." 

Thanks to the amazing 

technological evolution of the 

CE industry and to the rapid 

fall in flat screen prices, a new 

generation of digital artists is 

currently opening new 

horizons in the art world. 

Digital Art takes artistic 

creation out of the elitist 

spheres of galleries and 

museums and into people’s 

living rooms and bedrooms. 

Anybody can now enjoy art. 

Driven by a need to explore 

and to make art available to all, 

independent visionary artists 

have been seeking an 

extraordinary platform... and 

they found it here at IFA. 

Every emerging cultural 

movement has its “figurehead”. 

In the same way as the 

impressionists turned to 

Manet, Digital Art and its close 

cousin Dynamic Art seem to 

have found a leading light. 

Patrick Goubet, founder of 

ArtDisplay, is the first 

European editor whose 

vocation is to promote and 

publish dynamic artworks for 

flat screen TVs. Thanks to 

innovative and original artistic 

content, ArtDisplay turns flat 

screens into a tool of 

contemporary art. As the 

European and worldwide 

reference in terms of digital art 

and dynamic art, ArtDisplay 

offers the perfect 

communication platform to 

artists whose works remained 

relatively unknown until now. 

Goubet compares this 

revolution to that of canvas... 

“A number of centuries ago, there 

was a major revolution when 

rather than painting frescoes, 

artists began painting on canvas, 

making art ‘mobile’. Today the 

canvas comes alive thanks to flat 

screens and modern technology.” 

Just like Impressionism, an 

artistic movement that was 

born as a reaction to official 

academic painting in 19 th 

century France and, like 

Fauvism with its audacity and 

search for chromatic 

innovation, Dynamic Art was 

born out of a cultural 

revolution that was made 

possible by new ways of 

thinking and new ways of 

creating. Dynamic Art’s key 

concept is the notion of time 

(time going by) and life in 

movement (art evolving with 

time). 

ArtDisplay works are on 

display during the IFA: 

• at the Philips stand 

(Hall22/101) where the 

company is celebrating one 

million Digital PhotoFrames 

through the fusion of digital 

art, sophisticated style and 

technology, 

• At the Panasonic stand (Hall 

5.2/101) 

• At the Cleverdis stand (Hall 

24/102) - official sponsor of 

Artdisplay during IFA 

• In front of the office of IFA 

International in the Press 

Center (Hall 6.3) 

You can come and see the 

artist Patrick Goubet at the 

Cleverdis stand (Hall 24/102). 


5

IFA NEWS 

Epson and 

Disney team up 

for Mobile 

Projector Launch 

ADB Teams with Grundig to 

Bring Full Range of Digital 

Terrestrial Products to the 

European Market 

Epson launch their latest multientertainment 

projector, the 

EMP-DM1 today at IFA. The 

new mobile projector unit will 

be exclusively packaged with a 

DVD of Disney’s classic family-favourite, 

The Jungle Book, 

for the first three of its launch 

months. “The movie has undergone 

spectacular restoration, and 

the DVD is being released for the 

first time on a 2-disc Platinum 

Edition this autumn.” says Steve 

Foulser, VP Marketing EMEA 

for Walt Disney Studios Home 

Entertainment. 

Until now, home cinema products 

have been regarded as premium-price 

products, but as a 

simple plug-and-play system 

priced below €700, the EMP- 

DM1 aims to make home cinema 

affordable for the family 

home. 

The EMP-DM1’s built-in 

stereo speakers and Dolby 

Surround Sound capabilities 

enhance interactive features on 

the Disney DVD. Div-X compatibility 

enables the system to 

be used in conjunction with an 

array of external devices, from 

MP3 players to video games 

consoles. An in-built gamemode 

setting offers optimum 

reactivity between console and 

screen. 

Weighing 3.8kg, the system is 

easy to carry and comes with a 

protective carry case. Simple 

image-correction functions on 

the remote control speed up 

set-up times, and a USB connection 

point allows the EMP- 

DM1 to display still photographs 

directly from a digital 

camera or play music and 

videos from a USB flash-drive. 

Advanced Digital Broadcast, a 

leading supplier of digital TV 

systems and software solutions 

for interactive television have 

announced that they have been 

selected by Grundig to enter 

into a partnership to supply 

set-top box (STB) technology 

to the digital terrestrial 

television market throughout 

Europe. As part of the 

agreement, ADB will supply 

Grundig with high definition 

(HD) STBs, HD digital video 

recorders (DVRs) and HD 

iDTV modules for distribution 

across Europe to meet the 

growing needs of digital 

terrestrial television roll-out. 

“We are delighted to reach this 

agreement with Grundig”, 

commented Philippe 

Lambinet, CEO of ADB. “We 

feel that the digital terrestrial 

market is growing strongly 

throughout Europe and are very 

happy to partner with Grundig 

who offer a very strong branding 

proposition as well as multiple 

routes to market”. The first 

range of products will be 

deployed towards the second 

half of 2007. The first unit to 

launch will be the ADB- 

3800T and this will be 

followed up with an upgraded, 

feature-rich unit the ADB- 

3810T towards the end of the 

year. The ADB-3810T 

platform is integrated with 

MHP software from Osmosys 

(www.osmosys.tv) to ensure 

that operators can offer their 

customers a multitude of 

interactive services and 

applications. Both units are 

advanced digital set-top boxes 

incorporating standard 

definition (SD) and high 

definition (HD) television 

reception based on MPEG-2 

and H.264 / MPEG-4 

Advanced Video Coding 

(AVC). The products will 

enable the operators to 

maximise their broadcast 

bandwidth, while presenting 

consumers with a high quality, 

feature-rich television 

experience. ADB’s unique 

driver and operating software, 

Car Radio Celebrates 

75 Years‘ Existence 

Today, in-car entertainment is 

a lot more than just radio – 

you can play CDs and DVDs, 

read the content of memory 

cards, navigate and link up 

with mobile phones. What is 

now an everyday item has been 

evolving over the past 75 

years. 

As with many other 

innovations, the IFA (in its 

original form as the 

Funkausstsellung) has been 

and still is an ideal and 

popular stage where new 

equipment can make its debut. 

So it was in 1932, when the 

first car radio was presented in 

Berlin on 19 August. AS 5 was 

its name, it was made by 

Blaupunkt, and was operated 

by remote control from the 

steering column. It relied 

entirely on valves, had a 

volume of over ten litres and 

cost a whopping 465 

Reichsmarks, at the time 

equivalent to about one third 

of the cost of an entire car. 

The AS 5 could pick up 

stations broadcasting on the 

long and medium wavebands. 

Some time was to elapse before 

car radios became a standard 

fixture in cars, and initially 

ownership of one was more of 

a status symbol for an elite 

group. 

coupled with an optimal 

memory configuration and 

state-of-the-art microprocessor, 

result in enhanced system 

performance, including fast 

channel decoding and swift 

rendering of applications such 

as the Electronic Programme 

Guide (EPG). A number of 

further product enhancements 

are planned including 

an iDTV module for 

integration directly into TV 

sets and digital video recording 

(DVR) to allow consumers 

complete control of their 

television viewing experience. 

“We are very pleased to be 

working with ADB to bring new 

DTT products to market”, 

commented Hans-Peter Haase, 

CEO of Grundig. “ADB has 

been instrumental in leading the 

digital terrestrial and MHP 

market in Europe – we needed a 

technology partner who we 

could trust to meet operators’ 

requirements in a very short lead 

time and ADB has proved to be 

that unique partner”. 

Germany – a Rich 

Market For Car 

Radios 

Since 1965 sales of car radios in 

Germany have steadily 

increased: 

1965: 500,000 units; 1970: 1.6 

mi. units; 1975: 2.5mi. units; 

1980: 3.5 mi. units; 1985: 4.3 

mi. units; 1990: 6.9 mi. Units. 

A peak was reached in 1991 

following German reunification, 

when 7.9 million 

car radios were sold. In 2006 

sales in Germany totalled 

approx. 5.7 million, and almost 

100 per cent of all cars are 

fitted with a radio nowadays. 

6 IFA International • Friday, 31 th August 2007

MARKETS & TECHNOLOGY TRENDS 

IFA Success Matches Growth of CE Market 

At IFA’s Opening Press 

Conference, Dr Rainer Hecker, 

Chairman of the Supervisory 

Board of the Gesellschaft für 

Unterhaltungs und Kommunicationselektronik 

(gfu), 

painted a very rosy picture of the 

market, covering its significant 

growth in the past few years. 

With positive income 

expectations for the future, the 

market is expected to grow 

further as more and more 

innovative and high quality 

products become available. 

Looking at the ten most 

important European countries, 

the overall growth will be 5.3 %. 

The UK comes in with the 

largest market volume, followed 

by France and Germany in 

second place. Flat screen TVs are 

the main factor (up 20%) 

behind the market buoyancy, 

followed by mobile products 

such as notebook computers, 

portable navigation devices, 

mobile phones, DVD HD video 

players, MP 3 players and digital 

cameras. HD ready TVs 

carrying the “Full HD” label as 

proof of a true 1080 line display 

have proved very popular and 

large screen formats of 36” and 

more are being increasingly 

sought after. TVs equipped with 

100Hz scan rate which enables 

moving images 

to be displayed 

in a more 

realistic way and 

24 frames per 

second, which 

indicates that 

the TV can 

show output 

from Blu-ray 

and HD-DVD 

discs with maximum precision 

are another indication of the 

move to higher quality. 

The television is now more than 

ever the centre of family life with 

interface capabilities to several 

devices such as camcorders, 

digital cameras, DVD storage 

for music and films, personal 

computers and wired / wireless 

networking. With this range of 

options, ease of use is of 

paramount importance. Top of 

the range TVs at IFA 2007 are 

equipped with HD receivers and 

hard disc drives for time delayed 

viewing. One of the IFA 

highlights is a TV equipped with 

a media player and network 

adaptor capable of supplying the 

whole home with videos, images 

and music. 

CEMIX, the Computer 

Electronics Market Index which 

receives the latest market 

information from its partners 

has established that there has 

been a 4.9% rise in the German 

consumer electronics market as a 

whole during the first two 

quarters of 2007 compared with 

the same period last year. It is 

thought that this trend will 

continue in the second half of 

the year, with the IFA providing 

valuable impetus. In the 

German market, 

economic 

expectations are 

the highest in 12 

years. 

The IFA is 

intensifying its 

partnerships 

with leading 

dealers buying 

groups. These 

partnerships are 

designed to give 

European 

dealers access to 

a single location 

where they can 

not only see the 

latest product 

innovations but 

also buy them. 

To the IFA organisers, the 

dealers are seen as the real VIPs 

and the intention is to carry on 

giving them an environment 

second to none in terms of 

keeping ahead of the 

competition. 

42% Rise in Digital SLR Camera Sales in First 6 Months of 2007... 

High Price Category Leads Market Boom for Sector 

Exciting innovations are to be found in all categories of digital cameras, helping push the overall growth in the CE sector, but high priced Single Lens 

Reflex models are driving growth. 

With a 12 per cent increase in 

sales during the first half of 

2007, digital cameras are 

among the most important 

factors driving growth 

throughout the industry. Sales 

of high-value SLR cameras 

have been particularly 

spectacular, rising 42 per cent 

during the first six months of 

this year, with 250,000 of them 

having been sold in Germany 

between January and June. 

With virtually all major 

manufacturers of digital 

cameras and leading suppliers 

of photo printers using IFA to 

present their latest products to 

the trade and the public in time 

for the Christmas sales rush, 

particular attention is being 

focused on SLR cameras. This 

is a relatively new area 

representing the latest 

technological stage in the 

development of the whole 

product group. Resolution in 

the tens of millions of pixels are 

now taken for granted, picture 

stabilisers ensure protection 

against shaking even when the 

telephoto lens is used, and dust 

protection systems keep 

cameras clean even under the 

toughest conditions. Of 

particular interest: a new 

standard for image sensors and 

lenses has enabled designs to 

become even more compact. 

The smallest of digital SLR 

cameras are even daintier and 

lighter than their analogue 

predecessors. 

At the other end of the 

spectrum there is a great deal of 

excitement surrounding the 

new digital pocket models, in 

thinier, flatter formats, and in 

cases that easily fit in any shirt 

pocket. The displays are even 

brighter and larger and are 

among the most important 

technological trends in this 

field, and even the lightest of 

these tiny cameras is often 

provided with electronic 

picture stabilisers. Yet another 

trend is that of the zooms with 

extra wide-angle lenses that are 

being fitted to an increasing 

number of compact cameras, as 

is evident by focal lengths of 28 

millimetres and upwards 

(converted to miniature camera 

conditions), making them ideal 

for indoor photography. For 

example, the wide angle setting 

is suitable for photographing 

all the guests at a party from a 

close distance. These minicameras 

are also setting new 

records with their levels of 

sensitivity at the IFA 2007, 

with figures of up to ISO 6400 

no longer a rarity, enabling 

faithful colour reproduction 

even after the sun has long 

since set. The range of the 

built-in electronic flash 

has also been extended. 

And there is yet another 

keyword that regularly 

appears in the list of features: 

digital face recognition. This 

refers to the cameras’ ability to 

instantly identify faces from 

any direction, and to optimise 

all settings in accordance with 

these details. 

And the end result: snapshots 

and portraits are clearer and 

sharper, and skin tones look 

particularly natural. 


7


SES ASTRA launches new digital 

platform Entavio at the IFA 

…”the beginning of a new generation of digital satellite television…” 

SES ASTRA has chosen IFA 

2007 as the launch point for 

what it terms “a new 

generation of satellite 

television.” Entavio is a set 

top box providing a digital 

satellite service comprising 

about 500 digital TV and 

radio channels to households 

in Germany. The service will 

be distributed free and will 

include the option to access 

pay-TV for a monthly flat rate 

of 1.99 Euro. The first pay- 

TV operator to offer its 

packages via Entavio is 

Premiere, including its new 

Premiere programme Premiere 

Star. Further operators will 

follow. 15 models of Entavio 

compatible receivers by 

around 12 manufacturers will 

be available for households at 

the beginning of September. 

The smart cards required for 

accessing pay-TV will be 

offered and distributed by the 

Entavio company. 

HD-DVD Wins Major “Brownie 

Points” in Battle of Formats 

Paramount and Dreamworks Animation Each 

Declare Exclusive Support for HD-DVD 

Until recently, Blu-ray Disc 

had been boasting about 

having “exclusive” deals with 

major studios. However the 

HD DVD camp have now 

won major points by gaining 

support from some big names 

in Hollywood. 

Paramount Pictures and 

DreamWorks Animation have 

each announced that they will 

exclusively support the nextgeneration 

HD DVD format 

on a world-wide basis. The 

exclusive HD DVD commitment 

will include all movies 

distributed by Paramount 

Pictures, DreamWorks 

Pictures, Paramount Vantage, 

Nickelodeon Movies and 

MTV Films, as well as movies 

from DreamWorks 

Animation, which are distributed 

exclusively by Paramount 

Home Entertainment. The 

companies each said that the 

decision to distribute exclusively 

in the HD DVD format 

resulted from an extensive 

evaluation of current market 

offerings, which, they said, 

confirmed the clear benefits of 

HD DVD, particularly its 

market-ready technology and 

lower manufacturing costs. 

Paramount Home 

Entertainment was due to 

launch its exclusive HD DVD 

program with the release of the 

blockbuster comedy hit 

“Blades of Glory” on August 

28th following with two of the 

biggest grossing movies of the 

year “Transformers” and 

“Shrek the Third”. These three 

titles alone represent more 

than $1.5 billion in box office 

ticket sales worldwide. 

“The combination of 

Paramount and DreamWorks 

Animation brings a critical mass 

of current box office hits to 

consumers with a line-up of live 

action and animated films that 

are perfect for HD DVD,” 

stated Brad Grey, Chairman 

and CEO of Paramount 

Pictures, which is currently the 

leading studio in domestic box 

office. “Part of our vision is to 

aggressively extend our movies 

beyond the theater, and deliver 

the quality and features that 

appeal to our audience. I believe 

HD DVD is not only the 

affordable high quality choice 

for consumers, but also the 

smart choice for Paramount.” 

As a neutral platform, Entavio 

offers satellite households a 

large range of current and 

future digital free and pay-TV 

programs through a single 

receiver. Furthermore, TV 

viewers will benefit from 

additional features and service 

functions such as the 

interactive mobile phone 

service Blucom. In pay-TV, 

Entavio will start to market the 

whole satellite offer of Premiere 

on 1 st September, with the 

access to the Premiere Flex 

offer already included in the 

monthly Entavio flat rate of 

Euro 1.99. In December, the 

first Entavio HD PVR 

(Personal Video Recorder) 

equipped with a hard disk will 

be launched. 

Entavio is a technical and 

service platform which does 

not itself acquire or bundle 

programs and is therefore open 

to all broadcasters. 

Manufacturers of satellite 

receivers are able to launch 

compatible devices with the 

Entavio label besides the 

manufacturer’s brand. 

According to company CEO, 

Wilfried Urner, “Entavio is the 

beginning of a new generation of 

digital satellite television. 

Entavio provides a very large 

programme choice, interactive 

applications, easy access to pay- 

TV as well as an excellent 

customer service. With Entavio, 

we have developed a concept that 

will be able to reflect all future 

technological innovations”. “The 

launch of Entavio further 

simplifies the reception of 

Premiere via satellite,” said 

Michael Boernicke, CEO of 

Premiere. “Premiere’s 

programmes will be an 

important driving force for 

Entavio. With Entavio, Premiere 

can further increase its reach and 

benefit from its partners’ 

marketing initiatives. 

Furthermore, the launch allows 

us to outsource technical services 

and further focus on our 

competence as a content and 

programme provider”. With 

Germany taking the lead in this 

exciting market, here’s hoping 

similar offers are quick to show 

their heads throughout the rest 

of the European Union. 

Sony Pictures Release Details of BD sales in Europe 

In their most recent release on 

Blu-ray Disc (BD) sales, Sony 

Pictures Home Entertainment 

(SPHE) claims total BD sales 

across Europe have topped 

180,000. According to Matt 

Brown, Executive Vice 

President, International: “Our 

European Blu-ray sales increased 

more than 1,000 percent since 

the launch of the PS3 in March 

2007, due to strong sales in the 

UK, France, Germany and 

Spain. This is extremely positive 

news not only for SPHE but for 

the European High Definition 

market as a whole, as it 

underscores the increasing 

consumer demand for High 

Definition content and the 

power of the PS3.” The launch 

of the PS3 in March is seen as a 

turning point for the Blu-ray 

Disc format across Europe, 

with weekly sales of Blu-ray 

Disc titles averaging between 

two- and five-times the amount 

of HD DVD sales week over 

week (Source - Gfk). According 

to the Sony release, Blu-ray 

Disc software accounts for 

67% of the total High 

Definition market and SPHE 

titles account for more than 

50% of the total Blu-ray Disc 

market share in the UK, France 

and Spain. In the UK, SPHE 

maintained 53% share of the 

total Blu-ray Disc market, 

holding six of the top 10 bestselling 

Blu-ray titles, including 

the Bond Blockbuster Casino 

Royale, the biggest selling Bluray 

title in the country. 

Independent Sector in UK Shows Major Growth 

The latest news from the 

independent sector in the UK 

saw four leading independent 

distributors announcing that 

they would release some of 

their bestselling titles on Bluray 

Disc from this summer 

onwards. Tartan Video, 

Entertainment in Video, Icon 

Home Entertainment and 

Metrodome Distribution have 

all expressed their support for 

the Blu-ray Disc format. The 

fact the discs offer a seamless 

menu-bar allows the viewer to 

enjoy a wide range of bonus 

material without leaving or 

interrupting the main movie. 

Icon Home Entertainment’s 

head, Ian Dawson, said the 

indie would be releasing as 

many High Definition films as 

makes sense over the coming 

12 months following highly 

successful Blu-ray Disc sales of 

Apocalypto. 



TomTom 

The Future of In-Car Navigation 

Interview / COO 

Alexander Ribbink 

In their IFA Press Conference, TomTom announced some major steps 

forward in the field of navigation. We spoke to TomTom’s COO, 

Alexander Ribbink, about where the navigation market is headed 

today… 

There are several major axes of growth 

for the industry. The first one is the 

increasing penetration, which means 

that all of us will have to make sure that 

our products become even friendlier to 

use, smarter in their interaction with the 

environment, have more connectivity 

and are also more reliable in terms of the 

quality of the data that they use. The 

safety features are also becoming 

increasingly important. There is only a 

15% penetration of all cars in Europe, 

this means there is still 85% to come 

and that is a lot! There are two big 

things that consumers are looking for in 

a navigation product. The first is smart 

and reliable traffic information. We feel 

that with the technologies that we have 

created over the past couple of years, 

and starting now to implement these 

with Vodafone in Holland and the UK, 

we will be able to offer superior traffic 

information to more and more people. 

We are talking about real time and 

accurate data because coverage is much 

higher than what current systems can 

do. 

The other thing that we feel strongly 

about is making sure that maps are 

improved. We have launched a new 

feature on the GO range this year called 

“Map Share”, which allows consumers 

to correct things on the maps that they 

find to be wrong. This is part of a larger 

movement towards creating a 

community and allowing the 

community to interact with the device 

and the data on the device. Safety is 

also a key area of growth. It is like a 

sanity factor, but a very important one. 

We have a functionality that allows 

people to look for the nearest police 

station for example. This is an 

important feature for a navigation 

device to embrace. It also allows people 

to read out loud their location to an 

urgency service in different languages, 

and with the coordinates and so on… 

So there is definitely a lot happening 

and there is a lot of future. 

As the market evolves, this must have an 

effect on marketing and on channel 

policy… 

Yes it does. In terms of the messages, at 

the beginning of the industry it was very 

much for the spending category as a 

whole, “what can I do for you in your 

life?” And then the emphasis has 

switched to the efficiency and how 

much time you can save using 

navigation devices. 

As we move further in detail, there are 

more benefits for different groups to be 

revealed and to be addressed. One of the 

key ones was safety: there are new groups 

of people that have been attracted to the 

industry because of the safety features 

that are in there, whether it is entry 

calling or voice address input. All these 

are messages that address different 

groups and reflect the widening of the 

groups. 


9

MEET THE VISIONARIES 

New CEO for Sharp Electronics Europe 

Toshiyuki Tajima 

Toshiyuki Tajima is Group 

Deputy General Manager and 

CEO Europe, International 

Business Group, and Chairman 

(products) of Sharp Electronics 

(Europe). Born February 8th 

1947, Mr Tajima has a long and 

illustrious background with 

Sharp Corporation, joining the 

company in 1969. Already in 

1995, Mr Tajima was named 

President of Sharp Electronics 

(Europe) GmbH, following 

which he was named as CEO of 

European Operations and 

Chairman of Sharp Electronics 

(Europe) GmbH. 

In 1999, he crossed the Atlantic 

and became CEO of American 

Operations and Chairman of 

Sharp Electronics Corp. 

Coming back to Europe in 2004, 

Mr Tajima worked as President 

of Sharp Telecommunications 

Europe for two years before 

taking on the highly specific role 

of President of Sharp 

Manufacturing Poland Sp.zo.o. 

Finally, in 2007, Mr Tajima 

was, for the second time in ten 

years, named CEO of European 

Operations and Chairman of 

Sharp Electronics (Europe) 

GmbH, while retaining a 

Chairmanship role in the Polish 

operation. 

From 1 st July Toshiyuki Tajima 

took on the responsibility for all 

European Sharp Sales 

Subsidiaries and Operations. 

Toshiyuki Tajima is Chairman 

and Managing Director of Sharp 

Electronics (Europe) GmbH and, 

at the same time, Chairman of 

Sharp Manufacturing Poland 

Sp. 

The 60-year-old Japanese has 

been with Sharp since 1969. In 

the past years he was CEO of 

Sharp USA, President of Sharp 

Telecommunications in Europe 

and, lastly, President of the 

Sharp LCD module factory in 

Torun, Poland. 

Mr Tajima, please tell us how 

Sharp sees the European LCD 

market at this point in time... 

The LCD TV boom has only 

just begun and I believe Europe 

is a market which is only just 

awaking. This is why we are 

concentrating on Europe as the 

LCD TV market of the future. 

Our decision to be the first 

company in the world to 

concentrate solely on LCD 

TVs caused a few sniggers at 

the time, yet we are now one of 

the most successful LCD 

companies in the world. We set 

new standards with large screen 

diagonals, HD panels with 100 

Hz technology and 

contemporary design. In Bluray 

technology we also offer the 

ideal partner for the complete 

Full-HD experience. 

A major news item this year has 

been the official opening of the 

SMPL (Crystal Park) plant in 

Poland, where Sharp produces 

LCD modules and TVs. Why 

is this so important? 

For 2007, we expect LCD TV 

demand to reach 27 million 

units in Europe. With the 

factory in Torun we want, on 

the one hand, to be able to 

better meet the high demand 

for LCD TVs in Western 

Europe while reducing the time 

to market. On the other hand, 

we are deliberately investing in 

Eastern Europe with this 

factory, since countries like 

Poland, the Czech Republic, 

Hungary or Slovakia belong to 

the fast growing European 

LCD TV markets which will 

gain more and more 

importance in the future. 

In the latest major revelation, 

Sharp has just announced the 

upcoming construction of the 

world’s first tenth-generation 

LCD plant and the world’s 

largest solar cell plant in Japan. 

This is big news! 

Yes, we wanted to combine 

both technology areas to set up 

an “industrial park for the 21 st 

century”. The glass coating 

technology applied here is the 

same for both, the production 

of LCD panels as well as the 

production of thin-film solar 

cells. In addition to production 

advantages resulting from the 

combined utilisation of 

materials and machines, 

synergy effects occur from 

which both, the production of 

thin-film solar cells and the 

production of LCD panels, will 

benefit. Besides the two stateof-the-art 

plants, the 1.27 

million square-metre industrial 

park will have room for 

suppliers supporting the entire 

production process as well as 

further infrastructure; 

providing a time and cost 

advantage. 

Furthermore, CO2 emission 

will be avoided due to the 

vertically integrated method of 

production. With this, Sharp 

not only emphasises its 

innovation leadership but also 

supports its claim to be an 

environmentally friendly 

company. 

Just how important is Europe 

in Sharp’s global plan? 

Europe is one of the major 

foreign markets for our 

company worldwide. In the 

past fiscal year we achieved a 14 

per cent increase in European 

sales. My goal is to further push 

this growth in the two-digit 

range in the next few years. 

Sharp sees Europe as the 

market of the future!. 

By focusing our activities on 

the profitable European key 

markets of Solar Systems, 

Document Solutions and LCD 

TV, we have almost doubled 

sales on the continent within 

the past three fiscal years. With 

sales amounting to 3.4 billion 

euros and operating profits 

reaching 52.5 million euros in 

fiscal 2006, business here in 

Europe accounts for 26 per 

cent of Sharp’s total business 

outside Japan. 


MEET THE VISIONARIES 

“...Lifestyle is about fashion, art and 

emotion...” 

Rudy Provoost 

Rudy Provoost is Chief Executive 

Officer of Philips Consumer 

Electronics and a member of the 

Board of Management. Mr. 

Provoost began his professional 

career in 1984 with Procter & 

Gamble Benelux in 

Management Systems and 

worked for a number of years as 

a project manager on various 

finance, operations and 

marketing and sales assignments. 

In 1987, he joined Canon 

Belgium as Marketing Planning 

Manager, and later became Sales 

and Marketing Manager for the 

Reprographics division. In 1989, 

he was appointed General 

Manager Marketing for all 

business operations. After joining 

Whirlpool he went on to become 

Vice-President Whirlpool Brand 

Group for Europe. 

In October 2000, he joined 

Philips as Executive Vice- 

President of Consumer 

Electronics in Europe. He was 

appointed Chief Executive 

Officer of Global Sales and 

Services for Consumer 

Electronics, as well as Senior 

Vice-President and member of 

the Group Management 

Committee in August 2003. In 

2004, he became Chief 

Executive Officer of the 

Consumer Electronics division. 

In April 2006, he was appointed 

a member of the Board of 

Management. 

The fact that Wong Kar Wai is 

going to be involved in 

promoting the TVs at IFA is an 

extremely interesting way of 

differentiating Philips as being 

“art oriented”. We asked Mr 

Provoost to tell us about the 

company’s current strategy in 

this sense... 

For us IFA is an absolute 

milestone this year because we 

are launching the next 

generation of Ambilight, which 

we call Aurea. The Aurea launch 

is really about the ultimate TV 

experience. Essentially we are 

launching the product under 

the umbrella of a campaign 

called “Seduction by Light”, 

which is about finding the 

match between the art and 

science of the consumer 

experience, about the fusion of 

fashion and function. If you 

want to create a complete 

experience with light, sound 

and image in a unique way, you 

need to work with the masters 

of seduction. That’s why we 

have chosen to team up with 

different people like Wong Kar 

Wai on the TV campaign, who 

is making a special movie 

completely dedicated to Aurea. 

We work with the kind of 

people who know what 

seduction and emotion truly 

are, and in that sense it is a very 

unique campaign. We are 

redefining the boundaries of 

what TV is all about. Lifestyle is 

about fashion, art and emotion, 

and that is what we are radiating 

and bringing to life through the 

world premiere at IFA. 

Philips is announcing an 

extraordinary innovation using 

the works of a French digital 

artist, Patrick Goubet in the 

digital photo frames to celebrate 

the sale of the millionth frame. 

Why has Philips decided to 

include this dynamic art on the 

photo frames? 

We are determined to redefine 

ourselves as a lifestyle company 

and in order to achieve that, art, 

fashion and design are 

important ingredients. We 

bring these ingredients together. 

We also do that with the 

partnership with Swarowski. 

Digital photo frames are not so 

much about displays but about 

people bringing digital 

memories to life. In that sense 

we are very much on the 

emotional side and working 

together with ArtDisplay is a 

nice way to make another 

statement. The millionth digital 

photo frame is a great 

opportunity to act as a platform 

to bring the artistic and 

technological aspects of our 

business together. 

In your keynote, you will 

explain will how Philips 

differentiates itself from the 

competition. Can you give us a 

little foretaste of the 

presentation? 

In Consumer Electronics, the 

industry tends to talk too much 

about electronics and not 

enough about consumers. In 

that sense, we have been looking 

at our business much more 

through the lens of what 

consumers aspire to in terms of 

lifestyle. So I am going to bring 

the theme of lifestyle to life, 

articulating around what 

lifestyle stands for, which is 

people pursuing well being, a 

good combination of wellness 

and pleasure. We identified four 

major areas that correspond to 

the concept of lifestyle: my 

space, my body, my mind and 

my appearence. There are some 

brands that are active in one of 

these areas, but we think we can 

fire on all cylinders, we believe 

we are a very unique company 

and we have a very unique 

position. I am going to 

elaborate about personal and 

environmental well-being. With 

our keynote we want to 

challenge some of the existing 

paradigms of the industry, just 

like we did last year. 

What things amaze you today in 

Consumer Electronics? Is there 

still anything today that makes 

you say “Wow!” when you look 

out there? 

One of the things that keep 

fascinating me is the speed and 

the rhythm of change. It amazes 

me to think that the CD was 

born just 25 years ago! If you 

think about where we are today, 

in a world where internet is 

giving impulses all the time, and 

where content is finding its way 

through many different 

combinations of software and 

hardware, it is a fascinating 

world. The speed, magnitude 

and impact of the change are 

tremendous. This also means 

that lifecycles are getting shorter 

and that commoditisation 

remains a threat all the time. In 

that sense, we believe we should 

continue to differentiate 

ourselves and there is a 

tremendous opportunity there. 

On a more visionary note, what 

would you say are the biggest 

challenges that face the industry 

today? 

I think the biggest challenge will 

be to keep creating value for 

consumers and avoid 

commoditisation, which is our 

biggest enemy. At the same time 

I consider it as an invitation to 

innovate. Outpacing and 

outperforming the competitors 

is one thing, but amazing 

consumers is what our business 

is all about. In that sense the 

industry will be forced to put 

the consumer more at the centre 

and de-emphasize the consumer 

part in Consumer Electronics. 

That will require a totally 

different landscape and totally 

different companies joining 

forces along the value chain, 

which has to do with bringing 

together content in surprising 

ways with a great user interface. 


11

PRODUCT TRENDS 

I Want My PTV!! (Plasma TV by Panasonic!) 

Interview / Hirofumi Wada - General Manager, Product Planning Group 

Visual Products and Display Devices Business Group Panasonic AVC Networks Company 

video signals to 1080p signals 

to deliver images as beautiful 

as those from HD video 

signals. This allows Viera to 

render images that are more 

beautiful than the original. 

Matsushita just opened a new 

(4th) plasma plant in Japan. 

How will this help business? 

As market leader in the field of 

Plasma TV, Panasonic has very 

much been leading the way in terms of 

technological developments for the 

category. We asked Hirofumi Wada to 

tell us about the latest technological 

advances being made in the Plasma 

field… 

Thanks to the Advanced PDP 

Development Center Corporation 

(APDC), an R&D company jointly 

established by Hitachi, Pioneer and 

Panasonic, we are working hard on 

developing higher-efficiency panels. In 

the near future, we will be able to make 

screens that are larger than even our 103 

inch, have higher resolution that reach 

4Kx2K pixels resolution and produce 

panels that consume less than 70W 

power consumption. 

We have heard about what you term the 

V-real Processor system. What is this 

and how does it help make a better 

image? 

V-real Processor System is an integrated 

system consists of Processor, Driver and 

Display Panel. The new V-real Processor 

has two main functions to realize the 

best picture quality; Inputting and 

outputting 1080p Video Signals 

without altering their natural 

specifications. The Viera processor 

receives 1080p video signals in their 

original format, and then applies 

optimum signal processing without 

down-converting to output the same 

high signal quality. It up-converts SD 

In order to meet expanding 

global demand, operations of 

our fourth factory began this 

June and will be in full 

operation sometime in 2008. 

This new plant will employ 

state-of-the-art process 

technologies and production 

systems that are more advanced than 

those from our other PDP plants. 

The new systems and technologies will 

bring greater mass production 

efficiencies to the whole process while 

ensuring higher quality. As a result, we 

will be able to supply PDPs with more 

speed and flexibility as well as less cost 

to meet high consumer demand. 

IPTV is one of the main themes of IFA. 

What is your view of the development 

of IPTV around the world? Do you see 

a time when built-in IPTV devices 

might be happening? 

It is already developing in some 

countries like Japan where our TVs can 

be connected to the “AcTVila” TV 

Portal Service. Panasonic is also part of 

the Open IPTV Forum, an industry 

consortium that will work to define an 

interoperable end-to-end specification 

for delivery of IPTV services. We will 

develop IPTV devices according to the 

situation of infrastructure in each 

country. 

What should people consider today 

when buying flat TV? 

When buying flat TVs, consumers 

should consider three things. First, it is 

the picture quality in that the TV has 

smooth motion pictures and natural 

colour reproduction. Second, it is easy 

to use and have advanced networking 

capabilities. Finally, the TV should not 

be harmful towards the environment! 

Hall 5.2, stand a/b 


13


Epson Launches “Most 

Compact and Advanced 

Entertainment Centre on 

Market”! 

Epson announce the 

launch of the EMP- 

DM1, an Entertainment 

Centre for instant big screen 

movie enjoyment. This truly 

portable home entertainment 

centre has been designed for 

ease of use whilst delivering the 

highest-quality images and 

stereo sound. The easy 

installation means you can 

simply plug it in, insert your 

DVD… and within a couple of 

seconds you are watching your 

favourite film! It can be easily 

connected to a computer, 

games console, digital camera 

or USB memory storage and 

can easily be carried between 

rooms with its practical 

integrated handle, and with 

just one power lead you can 

start watching your DVDs 

without the worry of 

reconnecting a host of cables. 

Selling Points: 

• An innovative home entertainment 

system 

• Compact and stylish black 

and white design 

• The most compact and 

portable entertainment 

centre integrating a handle 

and fashionable carrying case. 

Hall 21b, Stand 103 

Sanus Set To Mirror 

US Success In Europe 

US based Sanus systems are setting out to 

expand their European market share 

through the release of innovative new products 

at IFA backed up with a strong retailer support 

programme. Its Dutch based European 

operation, launched 2 years ago, is presenting 

new additions to their comprehensive product 

range including wall, ceiling and table mounts 

for flat screen TVs and computer screens. “We 

like to continually innovate,” says Karin Van 

Lierop, Product Marketing Manager for Sanus 

Europe. “This year we are complementing the 

trend for black flat screen TV sets with a full range 

of black mounts to complement our silver range.” 

Another innovation is the mirror mount, the 

new addition to Sanus’ decorative frame mount 

series. “Many people want a large screen flat panel 

TV but they do not want it to dominate their 

living room,” says Van Lierop adding, “a set 

installed inside the mirror mount becomes invisible 

when it is turned off and the mount becomes a 

mirror and a beautiful piece of furniture in your 

living room. When the set is turned on the mirror 

becomes perfectly transparent.” 

The full range of Sanus products and 

accessories can be seen at IFA in Hall 25 Stand 

102. 



It’s a Camera… It’s a Phone … 

No… it’s a Viewty!! 

LG Electronics has chosen 

IFA 2007 to unveil its new 

super-high quality camera 

phone, the LG-KU990. The 

LG-KU990 allows viewers to 

enjoy a wide variety of 

professional-level digital camera 

features in single sleek handset. 

LG is once again driving new 

mobile phone trends by shifting 

its focus to high-tech 

functionality. The company’s 

new feature-oriented phone, the 

LG-KU990, a super-high 

quality camera phone, is the 

first example of this new 

direction. Equipped with 

professional-level digital camera 

features, the phone allows 

mobile users to enjoy their 

viewing experience to the 

fullest. 

features to go along with our good 

looks. LG is always trying to 

identify unspoken customer needs 

and create new mobile trends.” 

Using LG-KU990’s manual 

focus function, which no other 

camera phone provides, users 

can take more control over their 

pictures. In addition, the builtin 

image stabilizer helps 

consumers record clearer 

images. Users can personalize 

their unique pictures by 

“writing” on them digitally 

using its 3.0-inch LCD and 

attached stylus; they can also use 

the stylus and screen for 

working with the LG-KU990’s 

built-in digital editing software. 

And, when they’re done, picture 

and video can be easily 

uploaded to the internet. 

input via the stylus. 

The phone also records video at 

up to 120 frames per second, 

the highest frame speed ever for 

a handset camera. This allows 

users to seamlessly watch DVDlike 

content, even in slow 

motion. It also features quick 

search-enabled jog wheel, which 

helps users quickly raise or lower 

volume during calls as well as 

easily zoom in or out when 

taking photos or video. 

The sleek black surface is one 

big touchscreen on the front, 

with a 5.1-megapixel camera 

and jog wheel on the back. And 

the intuitive user interface 

makes it easy to use right out of 

the box, with many controls 

similar to digital cameras. 

high speed HSDPA connectivity 

at 3.6Mbps. 

The LG-KU990 will be 

available in Europe from Q4 

2007. To see the LG-KU990 up 

close, please visit LG’s stand at 

IFA 2007 in Hall 11.2. 

Customer Benefits: 

• Image Stabilizer/ISO 

800/SmartLight 

• Full-Touchscreen and 3.0” 

Wide Flat LCD 

Screen/Mobile XD 

Engine/landscape view 

• Handwriting 

Recognition/Handwriting 

Editing 

• High speed video capture at 

120 frames per second 

• Jog wheel for resizing pages 

in web browser/zooming in 

and out when taking 

photos/raising and lower 

volume during calls 

• Direct uploading to 

YouTube.com/Google 

Package 

• Schneider-Kreuznach 

certified lens; 5.1 Mega pixel 

AF/MF Camera with Xenon 

Flash 

• DivX mobile profile, TV 

out, document viewer 

Hall 11.2, Stand 101 

“The LG-KU990 is a camera 

phone with unparalleled digital 

camera functions that maximize 

benefits for consumers. This 

handset provides quality 

matching or exceeding that of 

conventional digital cameras,” 

said Dr. Skott Ahn, CEO of LG 

Electronics Mobile Communications 

Company. “With some 

of our earlier handsets, LG 

emphasized great style. Now we 

are focused on functionality and 

Borrowing from the high-end 

digital camera industry, ISO 

800 and SmartLighttechnology 

help consumers create bright 

pictures, even indoors and at 

night. Users are able to enjoy a 

wider and much more vivid 

display than with most phones 

on the market through the LG- 

KU990’s large full-color 

touchscreen and Mobile XD 

engine. The handset can even 

recognize handwritten text 

The LG-KU990’s highly 

advanced features even include 

the ability for users to create and 

edit their own video files right 

on the phone and then upload 

them directly to YouTube.com. 

The phone also is Googlefriendly, 

with a fully-equipped 

package from the ubiquitous 

web portal for mobile internet 

users. 

Additionally, users can still 

enjoy terrific voice quality and 


17


Major Advances in Home Cinema 

Systems New Energy 5.1 home theater system 

designed to sound as good as it looks 

Pushing Energy’s 30-year legacy in acoustic 

research and development ever forward, the 

new Take Classic home theater system fuses 

elegant style, compact dimensions and immense 

sound. Standing less than 7-inches high and 

weighing less than 3 pounds, each magneticallyshielded 

satellite is a bass-reflex design with a rearfiring 

port. All of these speakers utilize a 

Convergent Source Module with a 

3-inch poly-titanium woofer and a 

3/4-inch Hyperbolic aluminumdome 

tweeter for a dynamic 

frequency range and expansive 

soundstage. The 1.4 kg magnetically-shielded 

center channel has all the same features and 

technologies as the satellites, except for the fact it 

employs dual front-firing ports. Completing the 

system’s bottom-end performance is a hard-hitting 

compact subwoofer which employs an 8-inch 

MPP woofer with a patented Ribbed Elliptical 

Surround coupled to an efficient 200-watt 

amplifier. This proprietary design 

eliminates surround distortion, 

enabling the subwoofer to play 

lower with greater output and 

fidelity. 

On display at IFA 2007 

in Hall 3.2, Stand 103 

The 

Games 

People 

Play 

Because the quality of 3D 

sound is an integral part of 

the enjoyment of computer games, 

Sennheiser has added four special 

headphones to their product range so 

that you can hear your opponent at 

any moment and react like lightning. 

They replicate the finest nuances of sound to such a degree that 

the gamer finds himself in the centre of a virtual world. At IFA 

2007, Sennheiser will be presenting the HD 515 Gaming and 

HD 201 Gaming and, for portable gaming systems, the CX 

500 Gaming and CXL 400 Gaming. Hall 3.2, Stand 107 

Customer Benefits: 

• The new headphones fulfil the most exacting requirements in 

terms of sound quality, comfort of use and design. 

• The new series suits players from the hobby games arena to 

professional e-gamer level. 

• The open, “circumaural” HD 515 Gaming features a special 

ergonomic design to channel the sound directly into the ear. 



ComBOTS Launch 

Mobile Rich Media 

Platform 

Germany’s ComBOTS 

Corporation launch a new 

mobile version of their 

Integrated Rich Media platform 

at IFA. The free software from 

the Karlsruhe based company 

operates on the Windows and 

Vista platforms and integrates 

telephony, messaging and secure 

media file exchanges of up to 

1GB. The new ComBOTS 

Mobile 1.0 synchronises all 

messaging and data between 

PCs and recent models of Nokia 

and Sony Ericsson mobile 

phones. Compatibility with the 

latest Samsung models will be 

added soon. 

ComBOTS President Frank 

Schueler says that the new 

features on ComBOTS 

Version 1.0 represent 

the next generation for 

communications tools. 

“We are offering a Rich 

Media messaging tool 

with a very powerful, 

secure and reliable file 

exchange assistant built in.” 

ComBOTS messaging service is 

compatible with existing 

messenger clients including 

Google, ICQ, AOL and Yahoo. 

File exchanges utilise 256 bit encryption, 

while its telephony 

service works via DSL and VoIP 

permitting the placement of 

calls from phone to phone, PC 

to phone and PC to PC. 

“You can now place calls without 

using special Voice IP equipment, 

so there is no need for a headset 

anymore, or special USB phones. 

You can use your regular phone 

and we allow you to place calls 

not 

only to 

fixed 

l i n e 

phones but also to mobiles and 

PCs,” says Schueler adding “ We 

are not forcing users to add 

another pre-paid account but 

support their existing accounts.” 

ComBOTS sees a wide take up 

for its free software including 

businesses but its revenue 

stream will come from younger 

users who can purchase 

characters including SpongeBob 

and Lord Of The Rings 

favourites from 1.49 euro 

from its website shop 

(www.combots.com). The easy 

The newly re-launched 

Nordmende brand of TV sets 

is making its debut at IFA after 

being revived by leading 

Indian electronics company 

VDC. The company aims to 

carve out a considerable slice 

of the rapidly growing 

European market through a 

combination of excellent value 

for money and the 

revolutionary NEVe feature. 

NEVe is the result of several 

years of research by Chinese 

and Japanese teams and offers 

a true-to-life image normally 

only found on top of the range 

TVs. The Nordmende 

range also includes all the 

usual features such as 

HD/Multi HDMI/ 

SCART and a viewing 

angle of 176°. 

Under the banner “Feel 

Your Vision” the 

Nordmende brand will 

first be concentrating its 

marketing efforts on the 

to use and fun interface features 

popular characters from movies 

and media or personalised 

images through the new Create 

Your Own Character feature. 

Schueler announces, “our latest 

major deal is with Time Warner 

and we are preparing the Looney 

Tunes characters such as 

Sylvester and Tweety and the 

Batman collection for imminent 

launch.” 

Follow Product info “as it happens” 

“Into Tomorrow with Dave Graveline” 

is back at IFA… LIVE from Hall 24! 

VIDEO 

NEW BRAND 

BIG BACKGROUND!! 

youth and lifestyle markets of 

Italy, Germany, Austria, Spain, 

Portugal, France, Benelux and 

Eastern Europe. The brand 

has already been successfully 

launched in Italy where VDC 

has a manufacturing facility in 

Anagni, just outside Rome. 

The upcoming marketing 

push will also be putting a 

special focus on the Super slim 

CRTs, another unique product 

along with DVDs and digital 

products supporting LCD/ 

PDP segment. 

Hall 26c, Stand 119 

Selling Points: 

• Powerful but easy to use. 

• Rich Media messaging with 

voice messages, photos, text 

messages and 3D emotion. 

• Reliable file transfer independent 

of on-line status of 

sender or receiver using drag 

and drop to send up to 1GB 

of data. 

Dave is back for his fifth trip to IFA as he and his team continue to bring his 

worldwide audience some of the latest from Berlin and the many Exhibitors 

here at IFA. This is the ONLY international radio show covering Consumer 

Electronics, "Into Tomorrow" highlights the way technology is changing our lives! 

From Gadgets & Gizmos to Home Theater, Digital Photography, Car Audio, 

Security & Navigation, High Tech Recreation, HDTV, Technology On-The-Go 

and everything else that people are talking about. They also frequently broadcast 

from many trade shows around the world! 

Broadcasting for over 12 years now, "Into Tomorrow with Dave Graveline" is a 

3-hour national radio program (as well as 60 second Daily Features) covering the 

Latest in Consumer Electronics & Technology, currently airing on over 100 stations 

around the United States, several international radio stations and on XM Satellite 

Radio and several other sources - every weekend. "Into Tomorrow" is also heard 

around the world on the Armed Forces Networks. In addition, they stream live 

audio and video via their web site and provide free Podcasts of their show archives. 

(There is no charge to be a guest on their show)… 

"Into Tomorrow with Dave Graveline" on the Advanced Radio Network 

LIVE Sundays from 2-5pm ET (East Time) as well as Daily Features. 

Please stop by their web site at: www.graveline.com for more info. 

Hall 24, Stand 101 


19


Micronas’ truD FHD 120 eliminates ´Motion Blur´ 

and ´Film Judder´ on Full HD Flat Panel TVs. 

The 4th generation FRC 94xyM outperforms existing solutions with leading-edge Full HD motion vector estimation and compensation frame interpolation 

technology for 1920x1080p 100/120Hz televisions 

Micronas, a leading 

supplier of innovative 

application-specific IC system 

solutions for consumer 

electronics, has announced its 

latest generation FRC 94xyM 

Full HD frame rate converter 

IC which eliminates unpleasant 

´Motion Blur´ and ´Film 

Judder´ on Full HD (1080p) 

TVs. Driven by the need to 

eliminate motion blur and 

movie film judder that limits 

today’s LCD TV performance, 

the new truD FHD 120 

technology is a breakthrough in 

video processing – it offers an 

advanced processing 

technology to generate 120 

individual frames per second 

(fps) from 50/60Hz broadcast 

content and from 24 fps film 

source. 

The best proven method to 

overcome the motion blur 

effect on LCD TVs is to 

increase the image rate – more 

images give a more realistic 

portrayal of motion. Leaping 

ahead of existing technologies, 

the FRC 94xyM generates 

100/120 images per second 

using Micronas’ patented truD 

FHD 120 technology. The 

result is a bright, clear moving 

image without motion blur on 

LCD TVs. 

Film judder in movie content 

creates annoying flicker on 

larger, high brightness-andcontrast 

displays. De-juddering 

is the process of converting 

film, originally shot at 24 fps, 

to the TV display frame rates of 

100/120Hz using motion 

vector estimation and 

compensation. Micronas’ truD 

FHD 120 motion compensation 

technology increases the 

frame rate by generating 

additional frames. This 

eliminates judder effects that 

can be experienced while 

watching cinema content from 

any source, either broadcast or 

the latest-generation media 

players, which offer low-framerate 

24p output on a 

conventional flat panel TV. 

To achieve the best possible 

result, Micronas deploys a 

unique Full HD processing 

technology: the FRC 94xyM 

processes images at Full HD 

resolution. Consequently, the 

display delivers an image that is 

a perfect match to the source 

image. This is relevant for all 

flat panel displays, including 

LCD, plasma and rearprojection 

TVs. 

Micronas are demonstrating 

the FRC 94xyM in hall 1.1, 

stand 135 


21

CONFERENCE SPOTLIGHT 

International Keynotes a Highlight of IFA 2007 

With Rudy Provoost, Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer 

Philips Consumer Electronics opening the show on Friday 31 st August, speaking 

on “Sustainability”, this year’s IFA keynotes will be a true highlight of the show. 

The keytnote will build on the 2006 keynote's New Convergence story by 

outlining how Philips is specifically addressing the concept via its Consumer 

Lifestyle strategy. Through the keynote, Rudy will address how the modern 

consumer wants to make intelligent choices about their own personal wellbeing, 

that of their families and home environments, and about the environment itself 

from a sustainability point of view. Rudy will position how Philips is 

differentiating itself from the competition as a broad consumer electronics 

vendor by incorporating Health & Wellbeing, Sustainability and Design into its 

product portfolio, applying these elements as part of a transition from 

conventional CE brand to a people-centric business serving the lifestyle needs 

of consumers. 

Mr Provoost has agreed to give IFA INTERNATIONAL a sneak preview of his 

keynote on page 11. Don’t miss it!! 

In the afternoon, Norio Niwa, EVP of Seiko Epson Corp will be giving a 

keynote on Imaging Vision. In his speech, Norio Niwa will emphasize Epson’s 

vision of the imaging age and how Epson envisages its role in the future, 

continuing and strengthening its leadership of the market. One of the core 

elements of his presentation will be the evolution and revolution of Epson’s 

projector technology and how it transfers to end-user applications from gaming 

to education. Together with some exciting new product announcements, he will 

point out the uniqueness of 3LCD technology, pioneered by Epson and now 

used in the majority of the market’s projectors. He will conclude by presenting 

the company’s vision of the future of imaging. 

31.08.2007 

9:45 – 10:30 a.m.: Rudy Provoost 

Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer Philips Consumer Electronics 

Venue: 

Hall 22, Philips booth 

Title: 

Sustainability 

31.08.2007 

3:00 – 3:45 p.m.: Norio Niwa 

Executive Vice President Seiko Epson Corporation 

Venue: 

Hall 7.1a, IFA International Keynote Area 

Title: 

Imaging Vision 

01.09.2007 

9:45 – 10:30 a.m.: Guerrino De Luca 

President and Chief Executive Officer Logitech 

Venue: 


Title: 

Never the same again - how digital technology will change the face of 

consumer electronics and home entertainment 

01.09.2007 

3:00 – 3:45 p.m.: George Bailey 

General Manager, IBM Global Electronics Industry 

Venue: 


Title: 

Innovative CE Business Models through Technology Collaboration 

02.09.2007 

9:45 – 10:30 a.m.: Andreas Westhoff 

Chief Sales Officer NAVIGON AG 

Venue: 


Title: 

Connected Navigation: Access to the infinite mobile future 

Sharp Focuses on High Definition 

for European LCD Market Growth 

LCD pioneer Sharp Electronics 

unveil a range of new HD 

ready products at IFA that aim 

to boost their European market 

share in LCD flat screens and 

to consolidate their 

commitment to the Blu-ray 

format. 

Sharp Electronics Europe 

Chairman & CEO Toshiyuki 

Tajima told IFA International 

that these new product ranges 

should boost Sharp’s 

dominance of the High 

Definition LCD TV market 

and help improve their overall 

share of the LCD TV market. 

“Our current market share in 

Europe is around 6 or 7%. But 

when it gets to HD TVs we are 

already at more than 25%. Our 

goal is to take our HD TV 

market share to more than 30% 

in the very near future and 

increase our total LCD TV 

market share to 15% in three 

years time”. 

The new X20E series comprises 

of five new Full HD Slim-line 

LCD TV models from 32 inch 

to 52 inch with a native 

HDTV resolution of 1,920 x 

1,080 pixels and full 24p 

compatibility. This series 

extends Sharp’s extensive 

AQUOS range of HD ready 

LCD TV’s, including the 

XL2E series with 100 hertz 

technology and screen sizes of 

42, 46 and 52 inches. 

Europe is the largest market for 

flat-screen TVs with over 40% 

of all sets sold here and a 50% 

growth forecast for this year 

with 27 million LCD TVs sold. 

To serve the European market 

better, and especially the 

growing Eastern European 

markets, Sharp officially 

opened a new manufacturing 

plant in Torun, Poland August 

28th. “The new Torun plant is a 

core manufacturing centre for the 

European market for Sharp,” 

commented Tajima. 

Also demonstrated by Sharp at 

IFA is a new super-thin profile 

prototype LCD TV with 

unsurpassable image quality 

and advanced environmental 

performance. Tajima told IFA 

International, “We are actually 

showing Sharp’s potential 

technological capability and we 

believe that the next generation 

after LCDs is still the LCD with 

the new technology of Sharp.” 

Sharp’ new AQUOS Blu-ray 

BD-HP20S player is also 

debuted at IFA. This powerful 

BD player provides high 

definition images in 1080p 

quality in the 24p progressive 

scan process, which eliminates 

quality loss due to image 

scaling as movies are played 

back at the same frame rate in 

which they were recorded. The 

BD player also features a high 

performance and long life 210 

milliwatt laser, using Sharp’s 

own opto-electronic laser 

diodes and multi-beam scan 

unit. 

Sharp’s new and existing 

product range can be seen at 

IFA on their stand 3.2 in Hall 

101. 

Sony Walkmans 

Go DRM Agnostic 

Sony announced the launch of two new series of Walkmans, 

the A and S series. Both series support an open platform and 

Windows Media technology. The decision to open up the 

DRM management was, according to Jeffry van Ede, VP of 

Sony Europe, driven by the customer-base: “The Walkman 

Goes Open is our slogan and we have done this because we know 

that our customers do not want their content to be locked up. 

What they want is complete freedom and that is what they will 

have with these devices.” 

The hardware looks great and sound quality is governed by a 

combination of the Digital Sound Enhancement Engine 

(DSEE) plus Clear Bass and Clear Stereo. “Alongside our 

sound-enhancement technology, essential for getting the best out 

of the majority of music files, 

we are also giving consumers 

the ability to choose which 

DRM system they use, and 

they can also load up DRMfree 

files should they wish.” 

Likewise, video content 

will require no conversion 

because the new players 

support AVC Baseline 

Profile and MPEG4 video 

codecs. “There has been a 

fundamental shift in the 

way content, especially 

music at the moment is 

offered to consumers and we 

want to be part of that 

change.” 


23

CONFERENCE SPOTLIGHT 

Battle of the Smart Phones 

Kicks-off at IFA 

.../ Cont’d. from page 1 

”BATTLE OF THE SMART PHONES KICKS-OFF AT IFA” 

After yet another set of results 

showing a steep increase in sales 

around the world, LG Electronics 

European President & CEO James 

Kim explained the importance of 

design in the company’s success and 

corporate culture: “We call one of 

our core concepts WAF, or the Women 

Accept Factor. Men no longer make 

all the decisions about what models of 

electronic goods to buy and WAF 

allows us to please both parties,” he 

said. “As a consequence the quality of 

design will play an ever increasing 

role for all consumers. Our Chocolate 

range of phones proves this. They are a 

huge success because of their appeal to 

women.” 

It is clear that in the era of the flat 

screen, TVs are no longer merely 

functional, they are increasingly a 

centre-piece of the home. Elmar 

Schurer, VP of design institute red 

dot praised LG for its judicious 

application of design principles. 

“Design goes much deeper than 

merely creating a nice shape and LG 

has been so successful thanks in part to 

its design strategy,” he said. 

“It is now widely accepted that design 

improves sales, profits and turnover as 

well as driving growth. LG 

Electronics sales increase in the second 

quarter of 2007 is a testament to the 

value that design adds to products.” 


TRADE NEWS 

European Retailers 

“Grow the Pie” at IFA 

Meet the 

leading 

lights 

Interview / Werner Winkelmann 

President Euronics International 

Our strategic partnership 

spotlights exactly the 

information needs of our 

members. Besides the 

exchange on an international 

level, the IFA offers 

important and fundamental 

insights into the increasingly 

convergent and highly 

innovative CE market. 

We offer our members 

exclusive group tours to the 

booths of the most important 

industrial partners. In a time 

frame of 90 minutes they get 

an overview of the latest 

innovations and highlights of 

the IFA. Besides, our 

members benefit from special 

IFA offers. 

Tell us more about what 

people will be able to find at 

your booth ... 

In this column we aim to help you, 

the international professional 

visitor, find your way about the 

stands, and to MEET THE 

RIGHT PEOPLE. To this end, we 

give you the "leading lights" - those 

people who will be your first 

contact with some of the top 

exhibiting companies at IFA 2007. 

Konstantinos Tzouvaras 

Channel Manager 

Distribution D, A, CH; 

Navigon 

Hall 8.1 Stand 111 

As we launch, for the first 

year, this official international 

daily of the IFA, we’re all the 

more pleased to see that 

Euronics is instrumental in 

growing IFA on an 

international level. We asked 

Werner Winkelmann to tell 

us more about how the 

organisation is doing this... 

We have formed a strategic 

partnership with the 

organisers of the IFA, the gfu 

and the Messe Berlin. 

This strategic partnership 

offers Euronics Intl. the 

opportunity to emphasize its 

leading role among the 

European 

Retail 

Organisations. Moreover, we 

are using the cooperation to 

strengthen the relationship to 

our dealers. Euronics Intl. will 

be present at this year’s IFA 

with its own booth under the 

guidance of Euronics 

Deutschland. Together with 

the Messe Berlin we have 

offered special visitors’ 

packages to our dealers for the 

IFA including flight, hotel 

accommodation, admission 

fee and use of the public 

transport system. We were 

happy to find that there was a 

high demand for these 

packages, especially among 

our smaller and mid-sized 

dealers whom we addressed to 

visit the fair. 

It’s nice for retailers from 

around Europe to be able to 

benefit from IFA, but do you 

believe that the fact that these 

people are coming to Berlin 

also helps retailers here? 

The focus of the IFA is on 

internationalisation. A 

stronger internationalisation 

is also on the agenda of 

Euronics. Our members in 

Germany already benefit 

from our European branding 

strategy and from the 

potential of the European 

purchasing and marketing 

group Euronics Intl. of which 

we in Germany are an active 

member and partner. 

Furthermore, all German 

Euronics retailers are offered 

the possibility for an exchange 

with other members on an 

international level which 

further emphasizes the 

identification with our group. 

An increasing number of 

small to mid-sized retailers are 

able to come to the show 

thanks to your promotional 

work ... What do you feel for 

them will be the main 

advantages of coming to the 

show? 

As the largest European 

buying group for CE, we will 

underline our leading role in 

the European retail business 

at this year’s IFA. At our 

Euronics-booth with 

approximately 400 sqm in 

Hall 5.3 we will present a 

range of efficient and 

competitive concepts from 

our European member 

countries. 

Among these are examples 

concerning shop fitting 

modules, advertising, 

E-commerce and communications 

systems for our 

members. In addition we will 

introduce the prototype of an 

international product information 

system. In our special 

Euronics showroom we will 

present our actual core range 

assortments as well as 

products of the latest state of 

the art. We are convinced of 

the competitiveness of our 

retailers and of our group and 

will use the IFA to foster and 

maintain the position of 

Euronics Intl. 

Hans-Ullrich Sinner 

Director 

Marketing and Sales; 

Umax 

Hall 7.2c Stand 101 

Oliver John 

Director of Sales and 

Marketing; 

Elac 

Hall 1.2 Stand 109 


25

IFA 2007 

TRADE 

VISITORS’ 

TOUR 

This year these popular tours are 

available for four different sections 

of the fair. 

Audio Entertainment 

Home Entertainment 

Technology & Components 

Connectivity 

The main attractions will be Web 

2.0, digital photography and music 

in the new My Media section, best 

sound and best image for an optimum 

home cinema experience, 

communicating with providers of 

phone services, satellite navigation, 

cable and aerial broadcasting, the 

international halls and the IFA 

Science and Technology Forum. 

Dates: 31 August to 5 September 

Time: daily at 11 a.m. and 1.30 p.m., on 5 September at 11 a.m. 

Place: tours start at the International Trade Visitor Reception in Hall 1.1 

and will take an hour 

Commentary will be in English or German, depending on the nationalities of 

those participating. 

Date: 31.09.07 / 01.09.07 / 02.09.07 

Time Exhibitor Hall 

11.00 – 11.15 Kenwood Electronics 1.2/105 

11.20 – 11.35 Beyerdynamic 2.2/101 

11.40 – 12.00 Xounts AG 7.1/101 

13.30 – 13.45 Yamaha Elektronik 1.2/106 

13.50 – 14.05 Sony Deutschland 7.2/101 

14.10 – 14.30 Maxfield 14.1/101 

Date: 03.09.07 / 04.09.07 

11.00 – 11.15 Kenwood Electronics 1.2/105 

11.20 – 11.35 Beyerdynamic 2.2/101 

11.40 – 12.00 Xounts AG 7.1/101 

13.30 – 13.45 Yamaha Elektronik 1.2/106 

13.50 – 14:05 TrekStore 16/101 

14.10 – 14.30 Maxfield 14.1/101 

Date: 05.09.07 

11.00 – 11.15 Kenwood Electroics 1.2/105 

11.20 – 11.35 Beyerdynamic 2.2/101 

11.40 – 12.00 Xounts AG 7.1/101 

Date: 31.08.07 


11.00 – 11.15 The BlogHouse (Special Event) 26 

11.20 – 11.35 DivX, Inc. 26c/116 

11.40 – 12.00 Christian Schwaiger 26a/221 

13.30 – 13.45 Technotrend 1.1/200 

13.50 – 14.05 Connect (Special Event) 6.2 

14.10 – 14.30 MIO Technology 4.2/113 

Date: 01.09.07 



11.20 – 11.35 DivX, Inc. 26c/116 

11.40 – 12.00 Astra 26a/221 

13.30 – 13.45 Technotrend 1.1/200 



Date: 31.08.07 / 01.09.07 / 02.09.07 / 03.09.07 / 04.09.07 


11.00 – 11.15 Humax Digital 26/219 

11.20 – 11.35 Epson 21/103 

11.40 – 12.00 Samsung 20/101 

13.30 – 13.45 Panasonic 5.2/101 

13.50 – 14.05 Grundig 23/101 

14.10 – 14.30 Fujitsu-Siemens 13/101 

Date: 05.09.07 


11.00 – 11.15 Humax Digital 26/219 

11.20 – 11.35 Epson 21/103 

11.40 – 12.00 Samsung 20/101 

No registration is required. 

If you have any further queries, 

please feel free to contact: 

Axel Weber Project Manager IFA 

Organisation, Trade Visitors Service 

Information & Communication 

Messe Berlin GmbH 

Messedamm 22 / 14055 Berlin 

Germany 

phone: +49 (30) 3038-2407 

fax: +49 (30) 3038-2059 

a.weber@messe-berlin.de 

Date: 02.09.07 


11.00 – 11.15 Technotrend 1.1/200 

11.20 – 11.35 DivX, Inc. 26c/116 

11.40 – 12.00 Astra 26a/221 

13.30 – 13.45 Technotrend 1.1/200 



Date: 03.09.07 / 04/09/07 



11.20– 11.35 DivX, Inc. 26c/116 

11.40 – 12.00 Christian Schwaiger 26a/221 

13.30 – 13.45 Humax Digital 



Date: 05/09/07 



11.20 – 11.35 DivX, Inc. 26c/116 

11.40 – 12.00 Astra 26a/221 

Date: 31.08.07 / 02.09.07 / 04.09.07 


11.00 – 11.30 ARD Digital 2.2/101 

11.40 – 12.00 Alcatel-Lucent 5.3/11 

13.30 – 13.45 Hongkong Sunshine 3.1/400 

13.50 – 14.05 Fraunhofer 5.3/1 

14.10 – 14.30 WiMAC & porTiVity 5.3/4 

Date: 01.09.07 / 03.09.07 


11.00 – 11.30 ARD Digital 2.2/101 

11.40 – 12.00 Alcatel-Lucent 5.3/11 

13.30 – 13.45 Hongkong Sunshine 3.1/400 

13.50 – 14.05 DRM Digital Radio 5.3/14 

14.10 – 14.30 T-labs (Deutsche Telekom) 5.3/16 

Date: 05.09.07 


11.00 – 11.30 ARD Digital 2.2/101 

11.40 – 12.00 Alcatel-Lucent 5.3/11

TRADE NEWS 

Navigating to the next level 

Emmanuel Poidevin, Founder and CEO of Bilob (Business Development Services ) meets Sharon Antonaros – 

Channel Development Director EMEA – Tele Atlas. 

Over the last few years, the 

diversification of navigation systems has 

allowed consumers to develop new day 

to day applications. Thanks to an 

incredible growth rate, this market has 

become truly global and has reached 

maturity. 

We met with one of the key actors of 

the navigation market: Tele Atlas 

delivers digital maps and dynamic 

content that power some of the world’s 

most essential navigation and locationbased 

services (LBS), especially in 

Europe. It provides content for over 

75% of the PND (Personal Navigation 

Device) companies, including 

TomTom, Navigon, Navman, Via 

Michelin and Route 66 among others. 

Products and solutions using Tele Atlas 

are represented in numerous 

distribution networks such as IT, the 

food industry, car accessories and the 

mass market. Sharon Antomnaros has 

been in charge of marketing and 

communications as well as partnerships 

in the EMEA region for two years. He 

explains how Tele Atlas’ reputation is 

based not only on innovation and upto-date 

quality content but also on 

strategic marketing investments. 

Although content is available in various 

forms (SD card, CD, DVD and 

download), Tele Atlas’ value added 

resides in content that is integrated to 

the PND manufacturers’ end products. 

Tele Atlas offers marketing and 

communication support, such as a 

training program implemented on site 

through more than 30 distributors 

throughout Europe. Along with 

numerous long term partnerships with 

various actors, these relationships with 

the distribution networks contribute to 

making rich and diverse content - an 

essential element in the consumer’s 

happiness and satisfaction. 

At this year’s IFA, Tele Atlas are 

presenting a number of innovations, 

including Market support and 

communication activities, with a 

program of education and training 

distributed by more than 30 partners 

throughout Europe. Added to this, they 

are highlighting a number of joint 

actions with existing partners in a long 

term approach... these actions close to 

the distribution networks and 

consumers make for richness of content 

- an essential element in consumer 

satisfaction. In the field of technology, 

the company is presenting a new 3D+ 

system integrating terrain contour data. 

With regard to supports and integration 

of the new mobile platforms: these 

include not only PNDs, wireless 

handsets, in-car systems, Internet 

services and in-house routing services, 

but also Telephony (Nokia N95) and 

portable game consoles. 

Distributors wanted 

At IFA 2007 Amitech, manufacturer 

and marketer of entertainment 

electronics for the consumer market, 

based in Denmark, will be seeking 

distributors and large resellers on the 

retail markets of Europe for its Ami life 

product line. Ideally, Amitech needs a 

large distributor in each country. 

Especially distributors with a 

knowledge of the TV resellers and the 

competitive situation on the national 

market would be needed to give Ami 

life the right start. 

Large Resellers 

Amitechs goal is to have Ami life 

introduced into the major shopping 

chains of the electronic consumer 

market in Europe. Larger chains that 

already market design products and 

serve trend setting customers would be 

natural partners, but Ami life is well 

suited for all types of TV resellers. 

Private label welcome 

For large resellers that need to promote 

their own brand, Ami life can be 

delivered with the full scale of features 

in a no name version so resellers can use 

their own logos. 

Instore solutions 

For resellers who supply shop-in-shop 

solutions and develop content to instore 

TVs, Ami life can be manufactured 

with the security and start-up features 

needed for easy operation. Ami life can 

be produced in customized colours or 

These new mobile terminals will make 

it possible to change the appearance of 

cartography data, and in a few years 

from now will allow daily updates 

(incremental updates). 

According to Mr. Antonaros, it is clear 

that new uses of the system are 

appearing: the system of navigation 

must not only make it possible to sail 

from point A towards Point B but above 

all to find information on centres of 

interest (tourism, service...) 

In any event, we certainly haven’t heard 

the last from Tele Atlas, a reference in 

digital cartography and a driver of 

innovation, including on the financial 

markets as underlined by the tender 

offer on behalf of TOM TOM! 

Amitech Seeks New Channel 

Partners at IFA 

with the end customer’s logo imprinted 

when large volumes are ordered. 

Reseller advantages 

There are a number of advantages for 

resellers according to Amitech. Ami life 

is a distinct TV with a unique story, 

giving a strong competitive advantage 

to resellers who display the colorful TV. 

In addition to this, given the resellers 

ability to sell quality products a little 

above the markets many discount units, 

the possibility of regaining an attractive 

profit margin is very realistic. Ami life is 

simply good business. New types of 

customers can also be found. Ami life 

will probably appeal to segments who 

are less prone to visit an electronics store 

than a design furniture house. Trend 

setters, women in general, and high 

income families in particular would be 

likely new visitors to the reseller’s stores 

Finally, there are special advantages for 

chains with many stores as Ami life is a 

Look ’n Feel product, and therefore not 

sold very efficiently on the internet or 

by other impersonal marketing. This 

gives a strong advantage to resellers who 

have invested in shops with a good 

geographical coverage. 


27

GOING OUT 

Where to go 

Berlin is one of Europe’s greatest capital 

cities offering visitors a multitude of 

different lifestyles, architecture and 

cultural possibilities. There is something for 

everyone here, from the most down to earth 

up to the ultra sophisticated. 

inBerlin 

Let Your Feet Do The Talking 

After a hard day at the IFA you will probably feel like doing some exploring 

and Berlin is a fantastic city to discover using the oldest form of transport 

known to mankind… your feet. Close to the chic, ritzy Kurfürstendamm – 

worth an hour of your time if only to stroll around and check out the amazing 

array of shops - the Savignyplatz in Charlottenburg offers an impressive array 

of bars with top of the range Italian, Spanish, French and German restaurants. 

The Savignyplatz and its surrounding streets are literally packed with eating 

and drinking possibilities including the dramatic Florian, a favourite hanut of 

theatre, movie people and musicians on Grolmanstraße, Spanish restaurant 

Mary Sol, the Paris Bar for the poseurs and the excellent 12 Apostel next to 

the railway arches. 

If you want to hook up with a younger crowd, the Pariser Straße is the place 

to go. The street is full of taverna-style hostelries, chic, neon-lit bars, American 

diners, Mexican restaurants and modern clubs with excellent sound-systems. 

Right now many of the bars put out tables and chairs adding to the 

overall buzz of the area. Orian is an excellent café while the Route 66 Diner 

offers traditional American treats with a local twist. 

Your trip really should include the beautiful and lovingly restored Hackesche 

Höfe. The complex consists of a web of eight courtyards which together form 

the largest series of buildings of its kind in Germany. The complex was originally 

a mixture of offices, workshops, and apartments and the Endellscher Hof 

houses the "Chamaleon" cabaret theatre, plus a film theatre, several bars and 

restaurants; in Hof II (Theaterhof) there is the Hackesche Hof Theatre while 

the remaining courtyards are home to an impressive array of small shops and 

galleries. Just outside the complex, in the Höfe, is also bursting with life. Here 

you’ll find numerous bars plus restaurants and clubs. The Heckmannhöfe is 

home to countless galleries and cafés and are on the way to the legendary 

Hackescher Markt, where some of the city’s coolest clubs are. 

The Prenzlauer Berg is another area that comes alive after dark and it is also 

the home to several important political and religious sites of interest including 

a Jewish Graveyard on Schönhauser Allee where painter Max Liebermann and 

composer Giacomo Mayerbeer are buried. There is also a Synagogue in 

Rykestraße and the Gethsemane Church, which is a former meeting place of 

the courageous men and women who formed the organised resistance to the 

communist regime of the GDR. For great breakfasts the Café Amsterdam on 

Gleimstrasse is superb, this bar and B&B also does Tequila Tuesdays while the 

Oxon Magenta restaurant-cafe on Greifenhagenerstraße offers an excellent 

selection of fish and vegetarian cuisine. Unsurprisingly the area also has a 

concentration of Russian and Jewish restaurants. Around the Kollwitzplatz, in 

what was East Berlin and named after the artist Käthe Kollwitz who specialised 

in intense charcoal drawings, the variety of restaurants is impressive even 

by the eclectic standards of Berlin. Etienne on the Husemannstraße serves coffee 

and hot cocoa in the French style while Poulette on Knaackstraße serves an 

excellent selection of Mediterranean food and features a style of interior decor 

that can only be described as vibrant. Restaurant Gugelhof is where 


29

GOING OUT 

Chancellor Schroeder took the US president Bill Clinton out to dinner. There 

is also a twice-weekly market on the Kollwitzplatz every Thursday and Sunday 

where farmers from the fertile plains surrounding Berlin selling organic produce. 

Another part of the former Eastern part of the city that was quickly embraced 

by upwardly mobile Berliners from both parts of the city is the Oranienburger 

Straße which has enough bars, clubs and restaurants to keep the average 

person occupied for a year or two. Bar Lounge 808 is pricey and extensively 

mirrored while Keyser Soze is for the scene-makers but is not ‘cool’ in the sense 

of being full of poseurs, it is in fact one of the more pleasant bars in this part 

of town. The food is a tad basic but pretty good. If you don’t mind serving 

yourself the Obst & Gemuse is the Pink place for you and at least you don’t have to 

sit there being ignored by the waiters. 

The locals go to Veb Oz with its ironic Communist chic whilst most of the tourists 

are impressed by the wrought iron furniture and fire-breathing 

sculptures Zapata Im Tacheles. It is, however, expensive. The Ambulance Bar 

features live DJs several nights per week plus video-projections. The music is a 

mixture of Funk, Soul, R&B and Electro and happy hour is every night from 

20.00-21.00. And finally for Oranienburger straße, the Bellini Lounge was 

voted one of Berlin’s best bars by Tagesspiegel and Times Magazin in 2005/6 

and has a daily Happy hour from 17.00-21.00. 

Other night time treats include The Bangaluu Dinner Club which combines a 

wide selection of cocktails and beautifully prepared cuisine from a fixed menu 

as well as a Private VIP dining club, the open-air Lido Deck and the Bangaluu 

Dancers with a laidback seating plan involving vast white cushions and subtle 

lighting. The Dinnerclub starts at 8pm is ideal for bigger groups and can also 

be very romantic. Whereas the Private Restaurant is ideal for clients and doing 

business. The club is housed in the impressive and imposing former Post Office 

building on Invalidenstraße and special club nights every Friday, Saturday and 

Sunday. 

The Lido Deck at Bangaluu Diner Club 

IFA delegates wishing to visit Bangaluu’s club night on Saturday will 

get a 50% reduction on the entry fee by saying the password IFA. If 

you wish to dine in one of the establishment’s 2 restaurants on 

Saturday, mention the IFA password when making your reservation 

and you will be offered a welcome drink upon arrival. 

When TASTE Matters... 

With 3 hotels on Berlin’s most famous 

boulevard and one hotel in the South of 

the city, with ideal transport connections 

to the Eastern and Western 

quarters and to Berlin’s Schönefeld 

airport (SXF). AHC Hotels Berlin 

- addresses to remember! 

Hotel Belmondo 

am Kurfürstendamm, 

Joachimstaler Strasse 39/40, 

10623 Berlin 

Hotel Frühling 

am Zoo Berlin, 

Kurfürstendamm 17, 

10719 Berlin 

www.ahc-hotels.com 

Hotel Boulevard Berlin 

Kurfürstendamm 12, 

10719 Berlin 

EuroHotel Berlin 

Airport BBI 

Rudower Strasse 90-94, 

12351 Berlin 

Dita Von Teese, Trevor Nelson 

and Lisa Snowdon 

are Blackberry B-Listers 

Who wants to be on the A-List 

when the 'B-List' gives you realtime 

access to the latest, newest, 

hottest 'must-see' and 'must-do' 

places and products around the 

world? Officially launching in 

September but available to 

BlackBerry users now, the B-List 

(www.the-b-list.com) is a 

personalised, dynamic, interactive 

directory to where to eat, drink, 

shop, primp, preen and play - a lifeenhancing 

shortcut for anyone with 

a demanding lifestyle. 

B-List has invited over 100 

celebrities and VIPs around the 

world to share their personal 

address books, so not only can you 

upload your B-List to share with 

friends and colleagues, but you also 

have exclusive access to the personal 

directories of some of the bestconnected 

people in the world. 

presenter Trevor Nelson, travel 

writers Mr & Mrs Smith and TV 

presenter Lisa Snowdon are leading 

the B-List in the UK. Their B-Lists 

contain gems of information such as 

Dita Von Teese's favourite lingerie 

shop and Daisy de Villeneuve's 

secret art and stationary shop and 

offer an exclusive insight into their 

world through their 'pearl of 

wisdom' - the one address they 

could not live without. 

The BlackBerry is already an 

essential tool for business and life 

and the launch of the B-List makes 

your social calendar even easier to 

indulge! 

Burlesque performer Dita Von 

Teese, illustrator Daisy de 

Villeneuve, Radio One DJ and TV

Day 1 - IFA International

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