EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW RICHARD YU, CEO OF HUAWEI OPENING KEYNOTER, BRINGS THE 5G REVOLUTION HUAWEI IS NOW PROVIDING SERVICES TO MORE THAN 3 BILLION PEOPLE IN OVER 170 COUNTRIES Richard Yu CEO, Huawei Consumer Business Group In his keynote, Richard Yu talks about Huawei’s exploration on future connectivity and strategy in AI, 5G, and new smart devices. We asked him to expand on this. It is my pleasure to be invited as the keynote speaker at IFA again. This year marks the beginning of 5G deployment. Huawei’s effort to develop 5G-enabled capabilities across all scenarios is the key message that we would like to deliver at IFA this year. With our in-house 5G chipset, we are able to introduce innovative 5G gadgets and new smart devices to consumers, who will be fully exposed to the incredible speed and efficiency of technology in the 5G era. Moreover, our industryleading capability in AI will enable an easier and more intuitive life for consumers. You were based in Europe before. How important is it for you to have this “European vision” when plotting Huawei’s course for the future? Undeniably, I keep great and fond memories of my years living in Europe. Without any doubt the culture and technological development of European societies greatly enlightened me. This shift in perspective has allowed us to introduce design innovations into our product design which embrace French and Italian culture. Huawei also gained recognition from Germany’s Leica thanks to its AIpowered photography and image processing leadership. I believe the progress made by Huawei’s Consumer Business Group owes a lot to the continent where I once lived. What’s important when building a top-end smartphone today? W h e n m a k i n g a p r e m i u m smartphone, each component, detail and experience must satisfy the consumers’ demands for a smooth and smart user-experience. As we focus on consumers first, we always aim to put user-friendliness at the forefront of our research and development goals In my opinion, regardless if it is today, yesterday or tomorrow, if we are designing a premium smart device, satisfying consumers’ demands for user experience has been and will always sit at the top of our priorities. In the upcoming 42
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW AND TODAY’S IFA US HIS VERSION OF 5G era, connectivity will be ubiquitous. As an important portal, a smartphone will enable greater experience and efficiency for consumers. Are you launching any new products at IFA? IFA is the best arena to demonstrate our innovative capability and products to global consumers. Here, we can engage with consumers and gain inspiration from them. Each year at IFA Huawei unveils brand-new, innovative products. IFA is simply the best arena to demonstrate our innovative capabilities and products to a global stage. Interestingly, as at IFA we now have Shift Automotive, you recently introduced a digital car key function in partnership with Audi. How is this progressing? Partnering with automobile manufacturers is part of our strategy to deliver intelligent experiences across all consumer touchpoints in the era of ubiquitous connectivity. In our industry we want partnerships with automobile manufacturers to bring the best innovations together. For example, we are collaborating with leading European brands and enabling consumers to unlock their cars with the NFC function of their smartphone. Huawei mobile phone keys follow the CCC1 Digital Key 1.0 standard. Based on NFC technology and encryption technology, the key and algorithm logic is stored in the hardware chip and will not be accessed and copied by third-party programs. Currently the Huawei P30 series with pre-installed EMUI 9.1 OS already supports the digital car key and makes people’s everyday life easier. In the future we will continue to deliver drivers a better and more intelligent travel experience through our dedication to innovation and deeper engagement with the automobile industry. What are your ambitions for Huawei on the global stage? In Huawei’s more than 30-year history, serving customers has been the main reason for our existence. We have the spirit to be dedicated to our customers. Our proven track record comes from our company HUAWEI’S EFFORT TO DEVELOP 5G-ENABLED CAPABILITIES ACROSS ALL SCENARIOS IS THE KEY MESSAGE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DELIVER spirit of hard work which comes from our founder and CEO Mr. Zhengfei. We put huge budgets in research and technology to lead the mobile phone innovation and win the trust of our customers by being always customer centric. This focus on putting the customer first has allowed us to grow very quickly into one of the leading mobile phone brands globally. At the Consumer Business Group we have the same culture as in the rest of the Huawei group. We aspire to serve more consumers, making the ultimate experience accessible to more of them. Following our vision to “bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world”, Huawei is now providing services to more than 3 billion people in over 170 countries. We currently have the privilege to serve more than 500 million consumers around the world. Looking into the future, Huawei’s CBG will continue to improve its capability to innovate and provide services across all scenarios, especially with the incredible changes that the 5G era is going to bring. By extending our reach to consumers, and by always being customer-centric we hope to win their hearts. This is our ambition. What would you say are the three “key selling points” that differentiate Huawei and its products in the market? I think they would be, our commitment to being consumercentric, our continuous drive for technological innovation and our improvement in product experience and quality. How important do you think IFA is in terms of setting a course for the industry for the coming years? IFA is the largest exhibition of consumer electronics in the world. In recent years, IFA has seen continuous growth in both prominence and number of exhibitors to become the most significant platform for the industry to exchange information and gain insights into future developments. IFA’s influence will only increase. The exhibition doesn’t just witness the revolutions in the tech industry, but is also points us in the direction of global cutting-edge technological development Opening Keynote Richard Yu Date: Friday 6 September 2019 Time: 10:30 am Location: Hall 26b - GRAND THEATRE www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Friday 6 th September 2019 43
