IFA International 2019 Day 6 Edition

NOMADIC LIFESTYLE / PART 2
TELECOMMUNICATION
ADVERTORIAL
IFA
My Media
WE IDENTIFY THE NEEDS
OF THE CONSUMER AND
DESIGN PRODUCTS FOR THEM.
A KEY DIFFERENTIATOR IS THE
AMOUNT OF TESTING AND
RESEARCH WE DO.
Stephanie Willems
VP Sales EMEA, Belkin International
BELKIN BRINGS THE CONNECTED
WORLD TO LIFE
Fast-growing firm delivers premium accessories that enable workers and
consumers to realise their desire for seamless connectivity
Founded in 1983, Belkin International’s mission has
always been to create products that help people realise
the power of technology and make people’s lives better,
easier and more fulfilling. At IFA Berlin, IFA International
asked Stephanie Willems, VP Sales EMEA, about Belkin’s
priorities during the show.
What’s the news from Belkin at IFA?
On the product side, Belkin’s
Connected Things division,
within the newly merged Belkin
International and Foxconn
Interconnect Technology (FIT) entity,
has unveiled its Thunderbolt 3 Pro
Dock. This comes at a time when both
corporate offices and co-working
spaces are embracing the idea of
“hotel desks”. These unassigned,
operating-system-agnostic desks are
based on the premise that employees
should be able to work wherever and
whenever they want without their
productivity being interrupted. The
ability to connect seamlessly without
compromise is key for workers and
consumers.
More widely, IFA visitors will see
how our portfolio increasingly
supports a truly connected world,
from home to work and on the
go. We’re focused on delivering
solutions built on consumers’ desire
for easy connectivity with the aid of
premium accessories.
How is Belkin responding to
changing consumer demands?
We react quickly to consumer
needs, creating products from the
consumer’s perspective. Take fast
charging, for example, and what
that means to a consumer. We
optimise the power that we project
into the device and the device pulls
from the charger – or the wireless
charger – to make sure that it
gives the fastest charge possible. It
sounds simple, but the difference
to the user is immeasurable. It
means getting more done without
disturbance or delay.
Our mission is to enhance the
experience at home, in the office or
on the go. Of course, mobility is key
for today’s consumer and we expect
the industry to adopt fast charging
as standard. While wireless charging
has attracted a lot of attention,
speed is essential. When you have
to leave your house or work in 30
minutes and forgot to charge your
phone, the value and marketability
of fast-wire charging is clear.
Is Belkin focused solely on charging
solutions?
No, we are focused on products that
meet consumer needs across the
mobile connectivity spectrum. For
example, the accessories market is
growing at a strong pace. According
to Future Market Insights, the global
mobile phone accessories market
is expected to reach €110.5bn by
2025 due to strong demand both for
protective covers and power banks.
How does Belkin’s product strategy
differ from competitors?
We try to identify the needs or unmet
needs of the consumer and design
for them. A key differentiator for us
is the amount of consumer testing
and research we do to get more from
hardware and charging. There is a
young, digitally savvy generation
that thoroughly researches the
products they buy and won’t accept
compromise in design or performance.
That’s our focus. We say that we
create people-inspired products,
because people are the heart of
everything we do.
How has the incorporation of
Linksys impacted Belkin?
The relationship between Belkin
and Linksys has resulted in a truly
encompassing portfolio of products
that spans connectivity and mobile
needs at home, in the office and on
the go. We are partners in bringing
to life the connected world for the
consumer and business
» HALL 3.2 / STAND 204
www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Wednesday 11 September 2019
17