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at w w w.ifa-international.org FLASHBACK TO KEYNOTES PARK URGES INDUSTRY TO FOCUS ON A “SEAMLESS CONSUMER EXPERIENCE” By Gary Smith Download Video At the ICC yesterday, Jong- Woo Park, President & CEO Digital Media Business, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., charmed the packed auditorium with a combination of hard-hitting facts and spontaneous humour. "This keynote, alongside carrying the Olympic flame, is the highlight of my year," he said. "And while we are on the Olympic theme, I have to tell you that I particularly loved the swimming competition. Those hightech suits are welded to the swimmer's body to create a seamless surface and, when you see how many world records were broken, it's not hard to understand the relevance of a seamless experience." At his speech last year, Park talked about "the era of digital renaissance" and its implications for consumers – Jong-Woo Park, President & CEO Digital Media Business, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. a theme that he took up once again at IFA 2008. "We are increasingly seeing rich content and networks," he said. "But we at Samsung are not satisfied with the way things are, because the user experience is far from being seamless. People should be able to use devices much more easily and conveniently. To really be able to say that we're living in a digital renaissance, the user experience has to be genuinely seamless and people should be able to enjoy the full benefits of the digital world any time, anywhere." The number of multi-function devices is growing on a daily basis, but that multifunctionality also means that those same devices are often too complicated. "Just take a look at the back of your TV," Park said. "It's a mess back there. And the growing global presence of communication networks means that digital content is exploding. Just imagine what it would be like if all the devices in the world that can create content could also share that content. But that also means that, given the sheer volume and ubiquity of the content out there, that it's now very important that it be managed properly. As Bill Gates said: 'The TV will be married to the Internet.' And the Internet is now a way of life for a lot of people. Consequently, the opportunity to use it to create new features and services is enormous." As the digital world's user base spreads way beyond early adopters and geeks, the need to enable anyone and everyone to enjoy its full benefits is paramount. "Even though some seniors are very much involved in the digital world, we have to be very careful not to exclude emerging markets with less robust economies and older people who are not yet comfortable with digital technology," Park said. "So, even though it is important to provide real solutions, these need to be at the right price-point, so that we don't create even more of a digital divide." Samsung continues to innovate with its Content Library service, which features preloaded content on generalist topics such as cooking, education and sports. "The content comes from collaborating with content providers and it's perfectly clear that it's a win-win situation for everyone involved," Park said. "We already have fruitful relationships with a number of companies, including Yahoo and USA Today, and we are very open to extending that to others." Samsung is also premiering its Ultra Definition TV set with an 82-inch screen. According to the company, the model is the first 3Dready set to come to the market. PHILIPS KEYNOTE RAGNETTI PROMISES MORE SENSE, SIMPLICITY AND CONSUMER SENSIBILITY By Joanna Stephens Expect Philips to continue to make "bold, brave choices", Andrea Ragnetti told the audience at Friday afternoon's international keynote, which focused on the Dutch electronics giant's mission to "make a difference in consumer lifestyle". The Executive Vice-President of Royal Philips Electronics and Chief Executive Officer of Philips Consumer Lifestyle outlined his company's roadmap for growing its healthcare, lighting and consumer-lifestyle businesses. This drive – part of the Vision 2010 plan – aims to further strengthen Philips' position as "a market-driven, people-centric company, with a strategy and a structure that reflects the needs of its customer base, while increasing shareholder value". IFA International • Saturday, 30 th & Sunday, 31 st August 2008 Describing Philips Consumer Lifestyle as a "powerhouse of insight and understanding" into the health and wellbeing market – a market, incidentally, that now delivers Philips some € 30bn in worldwide sales – Ragnetti said: "We are only just beginning to tap the massive potential of the lifestyle, health and wellbeing space." Putting the consumer first is embedded in Philips' DNA, Ragnetti added, citing a number of lifestyle products – from the sleek, chic SEN- SEO Latte Select coffeemaker, developed in partnership with the Dutch coffee brand Douwe Egberts, to the newly launched Philips Wake-up Light – that embody this approach. But the Philips chief acknowledged that times are hard. "The market is tough thanks to the increasingly challenging global economy," he said. "However, our portfolio choices are focused on creating a longterm leadership position. In North America, for example, we have chosen to concentrate on just a few product categories, thereby challenging the notion that strong …/ Cont’d. Page 13 www.ifa-international.org Download Video at w w w.ifa-international.org 11
