The March of Technology
This is the follow up info on the case of Kodak, The Case of RIM (Black Berry), IBM and General Electric. The point of these case studies is about the march of technology, and how important it is to be able to adapt with the times.
Ironically, it was Kodak that invented the digital camera nearly 40 years ago, yet it could not keep in step. The fear of self-cannibalisation allowed newcomers to come in and eat their lunch, and by the time it realised it had to play the digital game, it was too late to catch up.
However, its Japanese competitor, Fujifilm - also an old company - which aggressively rode the digital wave has got a market capitalisation of US$12.6 billion today.
So the lesson here is: If you fail to adapt with the times, you'll be rendered obsolete by a newcomer able to ride the current wave. And that won't be a pretty picture. Certainly not a Kodak Moment.
While that is for digital image, let's look at a broader perspective - digital publishing.
Borders, the once-popular US book chain, has gone bankrupt. Why? Because it failed to develop an internet strategy even as Amazon.com, an online retailer started to push ahead with e-books.
Who needs publishers? The recent deal for James Franco book fuels fears that online giant has become too dominant and could spell the end for publishers.
For years, the rise of Amazon, which heavily discounts books, has been eating into the once luxurious profit margins enjoyed by mainstream publishers. There are, therefore, growing fears that the online giant could soon send their industry the way of the high street bookstore.
Not only does Amazon's publishing arm launched an array of imprints which released more than 100 new titles, in hardback, paper back and electronic formats, it has also shown itself willing to pay huge sums to secure the services of what it considers to be the stars of the writing profession, using aggressive charm to woo them from the clutches of their former houses.
This growing dominance was upending the status quo in almost every corner of the traditional book industry.
"Publishers are terrified and don't know what to do. Everyone's afraid of Amazon," he said. "If you're a bookstore, Amazon has been in competition with you for some time. If you're a publisher, one day you wake up and Amazon is competing with you too. And if you're an agent, Amazon may be stealing your lunch because it is offering authors the opportunity to publish directly and cut you out. It's an old strategy: divide and conquer." ~ Richard Curtis, a prominent agent
Similarly, the printed newspaper will one day be extinct. It might be some time before that happens but happen it will. And that's because a clearly better medium (tablets and e-readers) and a system of distribution (the internet) has emerged, which will be the way news is delivered in the near future. News organisations that do not keep up with this development will go the way of the dodo.
人們購買平板，最直接的需求依然是內容，比如讀書、看電影、聽音樂和玩遊戲。
以亞馬遜的Kindle Fire為例，不只是一個設備，更是進入亞馬遜“雲端世界”的一個流動接口。或者說，你花199美元買的不是一部設備，而是一張進入亞馬遜數碼世界的通行証。只要上網下載，几乎可以把整個圖書館藏在平板電腦裡。
Other than digital images and publications, we will see some convergence in home entertainment as well. As the "old" saying goes: content is king. However, being the platform to communicate all the content may be a better idea. Take a look at Samsung's strategy.
Working across its entire product portfolio, Samsung will remove the barriers that exist between devices and content to deliver a smarter, simpler and more connected life for consumers.
Presenting at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2012, Samsung revealed a new connected ecosystem that encompasses its diverse array of products, content and services.
"We stand alone as the only company capable of connecting all the components of a consumer’s electronic life. From TVs to phones, tablets to PCs, cameras to appliances, we are enabling meaningful connections between them all. Our promise is that you will share and enjoy content across all these devices, easily, anywhere, anytime." ~ BK Yoon, president of Samsung’s Consumer Electronics Division.
Note: ES8000 LED TV redefines how consumers access, experience and manage their home entertainment. Powered by a dual-core processor, users can surf the web while using or downloading multiple apps simultaneously. A broad range of content is also available through Samsung Apps, the industry’s preferred TV apps platform.
Sources:
Lessons from Kodak
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/269564
Samsung Pushes Boundaries at CES 2012
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120109006653/en/Samsung-Pushes-Boundaries-CES-2012
As celebrities choose Amazon, is this the end for publishers?
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/as-celebrities-choose-amazon-is-this-the-end-for-publishers-6285033.html
Kodak and The March of Technology
For the case of Kodak, although it's sad to see an industry pioneer bite the dust, competition is brutal - better companies have emerged with better products and services at lower prices - it was digital technology that destroyed Kodak's market share.Ironically, it was Kodak that invented the digital camera nearly 40 years ago, yet it could not keep in step. The fear of self-cannibalisation allowed newcomers to come in and eat their lunch, and by the time it realised it had to play the digital game, it was too late to catch up.
However, its Japanese competitor, Fujifilm - also an old company - which aggressively rode the digital wave has got a market capitalisation of US$12.6 billion today.
So the lesson here is: If you fail to adapt with the times, you'll be rendered obsolete by a newcomer able to ride the current wave. And that won't be a pretty picture. Certainly not a Kodak Moment.
While that is for digital image, let's look at a broader perspective - digital publishing.
Borders, the once-popular US book chain, has gone bankrupt. Why? Because it failed to develop an internet strategy even as Amazon.com, an online retailer started to push ahead with e-books.
Amazon: Game Changer for the Publishing Industry
Who needs publishers? The recent deal for James Franco book fuels fears that online giant has become too dominant and could spell the end for publishers.
For years, the rise of Amazon, which heavily discounts books, has been eating into the once luxurious profit margins enjoyed by mainstream publishers. There are, therefore, growing fears that the online giant could soon send their industry the way of the high street bookstore.
Not only does Amazon's publishing arm launched an array of imprints which released more than 100 new titles, in hardback, paper back and electronic formats, it has also shown itself willing to pay huge sums to secure the services of what it considers to be the stars of the writing profession, using aggressive charm to woo them from the clutches of their former houses.
This growing dominance was upending the status quo in almost every corner of the traditional book industry.
"Publishers are terrified and don't know what to do. Everyone's afraid of Amazon," he said. "If you're a bookstore, Amazon has been in competition with you for some time. If you're a publisher, one day you wake up and Amazon is competing with you too. And if you're an agent, Amazon may be stealing your lunch because it is offering authors the opportunity to publish directly and cut you out. It's an old strategy: divide and conquer." ~ Richard Curtis, a prominent agent
Similarly, the printed newspaper will one day be extinct. It might be some time before that happens but happen it will. And that's because a clearly better medium (tablets and e-readers) and a system of distribution (the internet) has emerged, which will be the way news is delivered in the near future. News organisations that do not keep up with this development will go the way of the dodo.
人們購買平板，最直接的需求依然是內容，比如讀書、看電影、聽音樂和玩遊戲。
以亞馬遜的Kindle Fire為例，不只是一個設備，更是進入亞馬遜“雲端世界”的一個流動接口。或者說，你花199美元買的不是一部設備，而是一張進入亞馬遜數碼世界的通行証。只要上網下載，几乎可以把整個圖書館藏在平板電腦裡。
Other than digital images and publications, we will see some convergence in home entertainment as well. As the "old" saying goes: content is king. However, being the platform to communicate all the content may be a better idea. Take a look at Samsung's strategy.
Samsung presents vision for future of consumer electronics, making the world simpler, smarter and more connected
Working across its entire product portfolio, Samsung will remove the barriers that exist between devices and content to deliver a smarter, simpler and more connected life for consumers.
Presenting at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2012, Samsung revealed a new connected ecosystem that encompasses its diverse array of products, content and services.
"We stand alone as the only company capable of connecting all the components of a consumer’s electronic life. From TVs to phones, tablets to PCs, cameras to appliances, we are enabling meaningful connections between them all. Our promise is that you will share and enjoy content across all these devices, easily, anywhere, anytime." ~ BK Yoon, president of Samsung’s Consumer Electronics Division.
Note: ES8000 LED TV redefines how consumers access, experience and manage their home entertainment. Powered by a dual-core processor, users can surf the web while using or downloading multiple apps simultaneously. A broad range of content is also available through Samsung Apps, the industry’s preferred TV apps platform.
Sources:
Lessons from Kodak
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/269564
Samsung Pushes Boundaries at CES 2012
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120109006653/en/Samsung-Pushes-Boundaries-CES-2012
As celebrities choose Amazon, is this the end for publishers?
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/as-celebrities-choose-amazon-is-this-the-end-for-publishers-6285033.html
