NEWS Cordless Vacuums -
NEWS Cordless Vacuums - The New Growth Vector Markus Monjau Managing Director Marketing & Sales at Royal Appliance International IFA International interviews Markus Monjau, Managing Director Marketing & Sales at Royal Appliance International, a fully-owned subsidiary of the TTI Group and responsible for marketing cleaning and floorcare devices under the brands of Dirt Devil and VAX in the European market. How is the market progressing for cordless vacuum cleaners, and which geographic markets are the most interesting? The German Market is one of our focus markets for cordless vacuum cleaners. In the last year, the increase in the cordless segment was more than 50% in Germany. In the next five or eight years, we expect an even bigger shift from cord to cordless vacuum cleaners. What are the key technical features that make a good cordless vacuum cleaner today and how has this changed from the past? The main feature of cordless vacuum cleaners is the battery. The development from Ni-MH to Lithium-ion battery types is one of the success elements of the new generation cordless vacuum cleaners. The battery charge time is shorter and the cleaning time is longer. The cleaning experience will be even better because of higher battery voltage and more cleaning power. Royal Appliance is a part of the multinational company TTI, a worldclass leader in design and manufacturing of power tools, outdoor power equipment and floor care. Their strong knowledge of batteries for power tools is being transferred and applied to floor care product development. How are designs changing over time and what should people look for when seeking a good device? At the moment the development from normal to 2-in-1 and multifunctional cordless vacuum cleaners is taking place. In the future we will have smaller batteries and with that the possibility of new designs. What does the future hold? Cordless cleaners will take over more and more parts of the vacuum cleaner market Hall 3.1 Stand 106 50 Years… 60 Countries BRITA has numerous reasons to celebrate at IFA 2016 ADVERTORIAL In 2016, BRITA celebrates its 50th anniversary. For five decades, the optimisation and individualisation of drinking water has been the focus of this incredible German family business. BRITA is currently active in more than 60 countries and is the strongest global player in its market segment. Millions of users worldwide trust BRITA to filter their mains water, thus improving the flavour, aroma and appearance of cold and hot drinks. Partners in the household appliance industry also leverage the longstanding knowledge of the water filtration experts based in Taunusstein, Hessen. As a multi-product business, BRITA offers a wide range of innovative solutions for drinking water optimisation: alongside the well-established tabletop water filters, pressurised systems and mobile products for use during sport, on-the-go or in the office, BRITA also promotes integrated filter systems. With this attractive 2-in-1 solution, filtering and preparing hot drinks can take place in highquality, space-saving domestic appliances from BRITA partners in a single step. The benefits include improved flavour, reduced energy consumption as well as protection from lime scale build-up in the appliances. Successful premium brands such as Bosch, Morphy Richards, Philips, Russell Hobbs, Saeco, Samsung and Siemens trust the experience and expertise of the drinking water specialists using BRITA filter systems in coffee machines, espresso machines, refrigerators and water dispensers. BRITA has an outstanding distribution network that has been cultivated over many years and offers targeted support for the marketing of new products. For further information visit: www.brita.net You can find these BRITA partners at the IFA here: Hall 3.1 / Stand 101 Hall 9 / Stand 114 Hall 22 Hall 3.1 / Stand 104 Hall 1.1 / Stand 101 20
NEWS "The Narrative is Changing" Hirai tells IFA that Sony is ‘back on the path to future growth’ In his opening remarks at Sony’s IFA press conference, president and CEO of Sony Corporation, Kazuo Hirai, told the packed hall: "the narrative is changing". Recent years had been challenging, but today, at IFA, we are looking at “a stronger Sony”, he said. The most significant contributor to this revival has been its consumer electronics businesses. Operating income for the fiscal year ending March 2016 was approximately Y294bn (approx. €2.53 bn), almost five times that of the previous year. This year the forecast is that all the company’s consumer electronics businesses will be in the black. “Sony is best when we are integrated into your lives,” Hirai said. “But this doesn’t happen in an abstract space in the cloud. It’s about objects of desire you can hold in your hand.” He added: “We want our products to be at the last one-inch, the closest point to all of you.” As HDR changes the way content looks on our TV screens, “with a picture quality that is closer than ever to what you see in real life”, Hirai presented Sony’s Extended Dynamic Range technology that gives “superior backlight” and enhances the HDR experience in its new range of Bravia TVs. Among Sony’s range of new products at IFA, Hirai announced that the Portable Ultra Short Throw Projector and Glass Sound Speaker, already on sale in Japan and the US, are now both available in the UK. The 10cm cubic projector is capable of throwing up to an 80" image onto a table, wall, or any other surface you want to bring to life. The Glass Sound Speaker fills a living space with warm LED and crystal clear sound made possible through its organic glass. Hirai also announced a new addition to the revamped Xperia X series, the Xperia XA Ultra with selfie-cam and featuring the company’s new tripleimage sensing technology, which can capture sharp images on the move and in low light. The technology appears in a number of the company’s new Xperia smartphones on show at IFA Hall 20 Stand 101 WE WANT OUR PRODUCTS TO BE AT THE CLOSEST POINT TO ALL OF YOU Kazuo Hirai addresses a packed IFA press conference www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Saturday 3 th & Sunday 4 th September 2016 21
