The South Korean electronics giant LG has chosen Thailand as the first Asean production base for its latest range of televisions.
The company will spend about 200 million baht next year on molds, a clean room and other facilities at its Rayong factory to produce the LED and LCD sets locally, said Heegol Lee, general marketing manager for home entertainment at LG Electronics (Thailand) Co.
Exports will account for about 25% of total output. The Thai-made products will initially be shipped to Laos, Cambodia and Burma.
Another 340 million baht will be spent locally next year on promoting LG televisions, with a focus on LCD sets.
Overall demand for the brand's televisions in Thailand this year is estimated at about 3.2 million sets, or 32 billion baht, said Alongkorn Chujit, deputy managing director of LG Electronics (Thailand). LCD sets account for about one million sets, or 19 billion baht, followed by 65,000 plasma sets worth 23 billion baht, with other technologies accounting for the remaining 11 billion baht.
Overall demand for televisions shrank by 4.3% over the first eight months of the year. But demand for plasma TVs grew by 40% in the period and the LCD segment surged by 80%, while demand for conventional and flat-screen sets slid.
Sales of LG LCD sets increased by 80% over the period.
LED units currently account for just 2% of sales, but this is forecast to rise to 20% next year.
The company will spend 80 million baht promoting LED and LCD products,said managing director Hyun Woo Lee.
The new LED TV should lift the company's market share of the LCD TV segment to 25% by the year-end, up from 21% last year. The company aims to sell 3,000 units over the next three months.
The two new products in the LG Live Borderless TV range are priced at 32,990 and 109,990 baht.
It expects overall sales this year will grow by 15% to 15 billion baht.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
The saga drags on
The National Telecommunications Communications (NTC) finally confirmed that a lot of people have a lot of interest in thirdgeneration (3G) yuppiephone service,and not very many of them have kind thoughts about the regulators; about 1,000 people from the phone companies,financial advisers and phone suppliers showed up for what the NTC would be the one and only public hearing on its plans to auction and regulate 3G services;not so fast, said the private business leaders, such as Athueck Asvanont, who is chairman of vice at True Move ; he explained to the NTC that the constitution (Article 84-1) bans the government from competing with telecoms firms,and what are AIS (of Shingapore) and DTAC (of Norway) but foreign state companies?; then the lawyers took a crack at the commission, explaining that it is actually illegal for the NTC to get involved in 3G, because it is a matter for the National Broadcasting Commission, which doesn't exist yet - and any action by the NTC could be overturned by a court decision, sinking 3G even further behind high technology countries like Laos and Cambodia.
For those who missed it, lawyer Wirot Poonsuwan wrote an excellent review in a certain daily newspaper of the dogand-pony show known as 3G licensing and operation; it is online at www.bangkokpost.com/business/telecom/24707.
The Energy Ministry announced field tests on biodiesel B10 fuel will soon begin, supervised by PTT and the ministry's own Department of Energy Business; if everything goes as expected,the new fuel could win approval as soon as early next year; B10 is 90 percent regular diesel and 10 percent methyl ester, produced from palm.
Your CAT Telecom is no longer a long-distance telephone company, it is an "integrated wireless services provider"; so says your CAT president Jirayuth Roongsrithong, who figures the state enterprise can boost income by spreading out a bit here, tweaking a bit there, and reap the benefits of broadband Internet; but what CAT really is waiting for is issuing licences for thirdgeneration phones, because broadband services will really grow, then; Mr Jirayuth predicted CAT will gross 52 billion baht by the end of the year, even though international call income is certain to slide again.
The Metropolitan Electricity Authority slogged along on its lonely quest to bury power lines in Bangkok; all it has to do is to coordinate with City Hall, telecoms firms and mass-transit operators; MEA governor Pornthape Thunyapongchai noted the "poor city development plan" of previous Bangkok administrators; for now, the only underground power lines are around the Grand Palace and along Silom Road;the MEA is trying to herd the cats into a 3-billion-baht plan to bury wires along Phaya Thai, Sukhumvit and Phahon Yothin, and their sois.
Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC Corp said flatly it would capture a quarter of the Thai smartphone market volume and value - by New Year's Eve; country manager Nattawat Woranopakul figured it would be easy to sell about 100,000 of the phones Thais will buy this year, and grow HTC revenues by 20 percent to 1.8 billion baht; overall,he expects Thais to buy 10 million yuppiephones for 27.9 billion baht - a huge drop from the record 47.3 billion baht in 2006; part of the reason for the drop is falling phone prices, with the cost of smartphones this year alone dropping from a 2008 average of 16,000 to 12,000 baht.
The company formerly known as Philips of Holland, now called China Electronics Corp (CEC) of Shenzhen,vowed to make a comeback in the Thailand yuppiephone market and get into the world Top 5 again by 2014; Philip Lee, who handles overseas affairs for CEC subsidiary Shenzhen Sang Fei Con-sumer Communications, predicted confidently he would double sales in Thailand and globally this year, selling six million phones in total; Philips sold the phone business to the Chinese firm in 2007.
Entertainment giant GMM Grammy signed a deal with Chunghwa Telecom of Taiwan to provide Thai and other Asian workers to download music from the Internet trough their phones; managing director Surachai Sensri of GMM International was so devastated by all that homesickness by the 350,000 immigrant workers in Taiwan that he decided to cash in on it with music from the homeland; the exclusive deal allows Grammy to provide a "buffet service"of continuous music for the equivalent of 52 baht a month, and Grammy also expects to get streaming rights to Vietnamese and Philippines music for the service.
Thailand crunched the numbers on a single production base for the electrical and electronics industry in Southeast Asia - and gave a big smile; eliminating all import tariffs and facilitating trade with the Asean Free Trade Area (Afta)will give a big boost to the Thai industry;Charuek Hengrasmee, president of the Electrical and Electronics Institute, and Katiya Greigarn, chairman of the Electrical, Electronics Industry Club at the Federation of Thai Industries, noted the currently strong position of Thailand in the making of hard drives and electrical appliances - air conditioners,refrigerators and microwaves, say and figured that in international eyes,Thailand will be "the manufacturing centre of the region."
For those who missed it, lawyer Wirot Poonsuwan wrote an excellent review in a certain daily newspaper of the dogand-pony show known as 3G licensing and operation; it is online at www.bangkokpost.com/business/telecom/24707.
The Energy Ministry announced field tests on biodiesel B10 fuel will soon begin, supervised by PTT and the ministry's own Department of Energy Business; if everything goes as expected,the new fuel could win approval as soon as early next year; B10 is 90 percent regular diesel and 10 percent methyl ester, produced from palm.
Your CAT Telecom is no longer a long-distance telephone company, it is an "integrated wireless services provider"; so says your CAT president Jirayuth Roongsrithong, who figures the state enterprise can boost income by spreading out a bit here, tweaking a bit there, and reap the benefits of broadband Internet; but what CAT really is waiting for is issuing licences for thirdgeneration phones, because broadband services will really grow, then; Mr Jirayuth predicted CAT will gross 52 billion baht by the end of the year, even though international call income is certain to slide again.
The Metropolitan Electricity Authority slogged along on its lonely quest to bury power lines in Bangkok; all it has to do is to coordinate with City Hall, telecoms firms and mass-transit operators; MEA governor Pornthape Thunyapongchai noted the "poor city development plan" of previous Bangkok administrators; for now, the only underground power lines are around the Grand Palace and along Silom Road;the MEA is trying to herd the cats into a 3-billion-baht plan to bury wires along Phaya Thai, Sukhumvit and Phahon Yothin, and their sois.
Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC Corp said flatly it would capture a quarter of the Thai smartphone market volume and value - by New Year's Eve; country manager Nattawat Woranopakul figured it would be easy to sell about 100,000 of the phones Thais will buy this year, and grow HTC revenues by 20 percent to 1.8 billion baht; overall,he expects Thais to buy 10 million yuppiephones for 27.9 billion baht - a huge drop from the record 47.3 billion baht in 2006; part of the reason for the drop is falling phone prices, with the cost of smartphones this year alone dropping from a 2008 average of 16,000 to 12,000 baht.
The company formerly known as Philips of Holland, now called China Electronics Corp (CEC) of Shenzhen,vowed to make a comeback in the Thailand yuppiephone market and get into the world Top 5 again by 2014; Philip Lee, who handles overseas affairs for CEC subsidiary Shenzhen Sang Fei Con-sumer Communications, predicted confidently he would double sales in Thailand and globally this year, selling six million phones in total; Philips sold the phone business to the Chinese firm in 2007.
Entertainment giant GMM Grammy signed a deal with Chunghwa Telecom of Taiwan to provide Thai and other Asian workers to download music from the Internet trough their phones; managing director Surachai Sensri of GMM International was so devastated by all that homesickness by the 350,000 immigrant workers in Taiwan that he decided to cash in on it with music from the homeland; the exclusive deal allows Grammy to provide a "buffet service"of continuous music for the equivalent of 52 baht a month, and Grammy also expects to get streaming rights to Vietnamese and Philippines music for the service.
Thailand crunched the numbers on a single production base for the electrical and electronics industry in Southeast Asia - and gave a big smile; eliminating all import tariffs and facilitating trade with the Asean Free Trade Area (Afta)will give a big boost to the Thai industry;Charuek Hengrasmee, president of the Electrical and Electronics Institute, and Katiya Greigarn, chairman of the Electrical, Electronics Industry Club at the Federation of Thai Industries, noted the currently strong position of Thailand in the making of hard drives and electrical appliances - air conditioners,refrigerators and microwaves, say and figured that in international eyes,Thailand will be "the manufacturing centre of the region."
Lights out for Edison bulbs
Russia plans to ban the production and sale of all types of incandescent light bulb from Jan 1,2014, in a move designed to reduce energy consumption.
The ban will be the final stage in Russia's plan to phase out the standard,high-energy light bulbs and mirrors a move already under way in the European Union to switch toward less energyintensive lighting sources.
Economy Minister Elvira Nabiullina told a news conference yesterday that making and selling incandescent bulbs with a power rating of more than 100 watts, which account for about 14% of all bulbs used in Russia, would be banned from Jan 1,2011.
From Jan 1,2013, incandescent bulbs with a power rating of more than 75 watts will follow suit.
Traditional incandescent bulbs have changed little since they were first commercially produced by Thomas Edison in 1879. Efficiency improvements reached a limit about 50 years ago.
European households are already switching to more efficient halogen, LED (light-emitting diode) and fluorescent CFL lamps. The European Union plans to phase out incandescent bulbs by 2012.
Industry bodies have said thousands of jobs in the European Union could be lost, mostly in eastern Europe, as the new regulations favour China-based manufacturers of CFL bulbs.
Other major light bulb manufacturers include General Electric Co, Philips,Toshiba Corp and Siemens unit Osram.
Light bulbs are also major consumers of tungsten, a hard metal used in the filament.
"As far as the second and third stages are concerned, the targets for 2013 and 2014, these will not be fixed rigidly in law," senior Kremlin economic aide Arkady Dvorkovich said at the same briefing."We need to see how the first stage works ... but I think this timetable is entirely realistic."
The ban will be the final stage in Russia's plan to phase out the standard,high-energy light bulbs and mirrors a move already under way in the European Union to switch toward less energyintensive lighting sources.
Economy Minister Elvira Nabiullina told a news conference yesterday that making and selling incandescent bulbs with a power rating of more than 100 watts, which account for about 14% of all bulbs used in Russia, would be banned from Jan 1,2011.
From Jan 1,2013, incandescent bulbs with a power rating of more than 75 watts will follow suit.
Traditional incandescent bulbs have changed little since they were first commercially produced by Thomas Edison in 1879. Efficiency improvements reached a limit about 50 years ago.
European households are already switching to more efficient halogen, LED (light-emitting diode) and fluorescent CFL lamps. The European Union plans to phase out incandescent bulbs by 2012.
Industry bodies have said thousands of jobs in the European Union could be lost, mostly in eastern Europe, as the new regulations favour China-based manufacturers of CFL bulbs.
Other major light bulb manufacturers include General Electric Co, Philips,Toshiba Corp and Siemens unit Osram.
Light bulbs are also major consumers of tungsten, a hard metal used in the filament.
"As far as the second and third stages are concerned, the targets for 2013 and 2014, these will not be fixed rigidly in law," senior Kremlin economic aide Arkady Dvorkovich said at the same briefing."We need to see how the first stage works ... but I think this timetable is entirely realistic."
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Experience full 3D in your home
A parade of new technology means that the 3D experience is no longer limited to the theatre, as customers will now be able to experience it at home.
The development of advanced technologies in multi-core processor power allows new gadgets and computer products to go beyond 2D and experience a wider variety of uses, according to Prasit Worachatrawanit, AR Information and Publication Deputy Manager.
Several new 3D products will be made available to the Thai market at the upcoming Commart Comtech Thailand 2009 event, which will run from November 5-8 at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok.
The 3D technology is no longer limited to LCD TV displays as it has expanded to many areas such as the compact digital camera from Fujifilm that can be used to shoot 3D photos and movies that can be viewed without special glasses.
Webcams can now also support the
technology. For example, the Novo Minoru is the world's first 3D webcam.Its software has stereoscopic anaglyphic processing that allows users to be seen in three dimensions by viewers with 3D capability on their screens.
Digital cameras are also evolving to display 3D pictures by integrating with projector technology. The Nikon COOLPIX S1000pj is the world's first camera with an integrated projector,which helps people share and view photos and videos using a one-touch projection system on the camera. The built-in projector easily projects images from approximately 5 inches up to 40 inches.
Moreover, consumers can upgrade their PCs to a fully immersive stereoscopic 3D experience with NVIDIA 3D Vision. With a combination of hightech wireless glasses and advanced software,3D Vision automatically transforms hundreds of PC games into full stereoscopic 3D.
Meanwhile senior marketing manager for Acer Thailand, Nitipat Praweenwongwuthia, said the company will introduce 3D notebooks Aspire5738DG in Thailand for the first time,featuring 15.6-inch screens and software that supports 3D movies, and converts standard 2D movies into 3D.
The development of advanced technologies in multi-core processor power allows new gadgets and computer products to go beyond 2D and experience a wider variety of uses, according to Prasit Worachatrawanit, AR Information and Publication Deputy Manager.
Several new 3D products will be made available to the Thai market at the upcoming Commart Comtech Thailand 2009 event, which will run from November 5-8 at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok.
The 3D technology is no longer limited to LCD TV displays as it has expanded to many areas such as the compact digital camera from Fujifilm that can be used to shoot 3D photos and movies that can be viewed without special glasses.
Webcams can now also support the
technology. For example, the Novo Minoru is the world's first 3D webcam.Its software has stereoscopic anaglyphic processing that allows users to be seen in three dimensions by viewers with 3D capability on their screens.
Digital cameras are also evolving to display 3D pictures by integrating with projector technology. The Nikon COOLPIX S1000pj is the world's first camera with an integrated projector,which helps people share and view photos and videos using a one-touch projection system on the camera. The built-in projector easily projects images from approximately 5 inches up to 40 inches.
Moreover, consumers can upgrade their PCs to a fully immersive stereoscopic 3D experience with NVIDIA 3D Vision. With a combination of hightech wireless glasses and advanced software,3D Vision automatically transforms hundreds of PC games into full stereoscopic 3D.
Meanwhile senior marketing manager for Acer Thailand, Nitipat Praweenwongwuthia, said the company will introduce 3D notebooks Aspire5738DG in Thailand for the first time,featuring 15.6-inch screens and software that supports 3D movies, and converts standard 2D movies into 3D.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Electrolux enters the premium air-con market
Electrolux has launched air-conditioners in Southeast Asia for the first time, aiming at the top or top-three rank for the premium segment in several countries within three years.
"We're not worried about a price war with other brands, because Electrolux is positioned in the premium segment. We believe consumers choosing our brand think about the product's innovations and quality more than they do the price," Suresh Balan, president for East Asia at Electrolux Major Appliances, said yesterday in Bangkok.
Electrolux' prices are 7-10-per-cent higher than other brands in the same segment.
The Swedish company will also double the Asia-Pacific's sales contribution to 16 per cent within the same time frame.
The Electrolux brand is strong in many appliance segments, including front-loading washing machines, vacuum cleaners and cooking preparation in Thailand and other Southeast Asia countries, he said.
In Thailand, Electrolux is the market leader in premium front-loading washing machines and vacuum cleaners. It is either the market leader or in the top three in other Southeast Asia countries.
Electrolux is confident it will be as successful in the regional air-conditioning market.
"Electrolux has shifted its focus more to the Asia-Pacific because it has the fastest growth among similar markets, such as the US and Europe, which have been hit from the global downturn despite their small sales contribution," he said.
Electrolux has increased its marketing budget for Southeast Asia, including Thailand, this year to promote its electric appliances. It will also increase the marketing budget for air-conditioners, so that it can compete with brands from South Korea and Japan.
"Despite the global recession, Electrolux has no plans to cut its marketing budget," he said.
Its marketing strategy will stress to consumers that Electrolux air-conditioners are designed for real consumers' needs and lifestyles. It will not dwell on the product's innovations like other brands usually do.
Electrolux air-conditioners combine an array of proven air-purification technologies. Other key features include Feel technology, which lets users use the remote control as a thermostat, so that cooling can follow them as they move throughout the room.
Electrolux introduced the line in Indonesia and Malaysia in August and Vietnam and Thailand this month. Next will be the Philippines.
Three sizes are offered - 9,000 British thermal units, 12,000 BTUs and 18,000 BTUs - with prices starting at Bt24,900, Bt28,900 and Bt34,900, respectively.
Electrolux Thailand general manager Sutti Manokitjarunman said the company planned to launch a wide range of electric appliances next year. The company expects its revenue and net profit to grow at a double-digit rate next year.
"We're not worried about a price war with other brands, because Electrolux is positioned in the premium segment. We believe consumers choosing our brand think about the product's innovations and quality more than they do the price," Suresh Balan, president for East Asia at Electrolux Major Appliances, said yesterday in Bangkok.
Electrolux' prices are 7-10-per-cent higher than other brands in the same segment.
The Swedish company will also double the Asia-Pacific's sales contribution to 16 per cent within the same time frame.
The Electrolux brand is strong in many appliance segments, including front-loading washing machines, vacuum cleaners and cooking preparation in Thailand and other Southeast Asia countries, he said.
In Thailand, Electrolux is the market leader in premium front-loading washing machines and vacuum cleaners. It is either the market leader or in the top three in other Southeast Asia countries.
Electrolux is confident it will be as successful in the regional air-conditioning market.
"Electrolux has shifted its focus more to the Asia-Pacific because it has the fastest growth among similar markets, such as the US and Europe, which have been hit from the global downturn despite their small sales contribution," he said.
Electrolux has increased its marketing budget for Southeast Asia, including Thailand, this year to promote its electric appliances. It will also increase the marketing budget for air-conditioners, so that it can compete with brands from South Korea and Japan.
"Despite the global recession, Electrolux has no plans to cut its marketing budget," he said.
Its marketing strategy will stress to consumers that Electrolux air-conditioners are designed for real consumers' needs and lifestyles. It will not dwell on the product's innovations like other brands usually do.
Electrolux air-conditioners combine an array of proven air-purification technologies. Other key features include Feel technology, which lets users use the remote control as a thermostat, so that cooling can follow them as they move throughout the room.
Electrolux introduced the line in Indonesia and Malaysia in August and Vietnam and Thailand this month. Next will be the Philippines.
Three sizes are offered - 9,000 British thermal units, 12,000 BTUs and 18,000 BTUs - with prices starting at Bt24,900, Bt28,900 and Bt34,900, respectively.
Electrolux Thailand general manager Sutti Manokitjarunman said the company planned to launch a wide range of electric appliances next year. The company expects its revenue and net profit to grow at a double-digit rate next year.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Electronics sector to change strategy
The electric and electronics industry wil use the Bt4-billion budget proposed under the government's second stimulus package to enhance its competitiveness by upgrading from original-equipment to original-design manufacturing.
The three-year model scheme starting next year will concentrate on developing four important areas, which are product design, the supply chain, design-skilled staff and infrastructure, Katiya Greigarn, president of the Thai Association of Electrical and Electronics Industries, said yesterday.
To do original-design manufacturing,the industry needs to adopt advanced technology and improve the skills of its workforce to create high-value and differentiated products.
The industry normally requires 10,000 new workers per year, assuming annual growth of 10 per cent.
"We have to avoid the tough competition in common products because our wages are not cheap anymore. However, the government's support is needed to encourage manufacturers to do their own research and develoment as well as train skillled workers to support leading-edge technology," he said.
The association will collaborate with the National Electronics and Comuter Technology Centre and universitie to help local manufacturers conduct R&D to serve three main functions-user-centre desig n, universal design and eco-design.
Forming a cluster for the industry will help reduce maufacturers' logistics costs and facilitate their developing the necessary infrastructure together including modern laboratories.
Without state support ffor the industry's development, it will be difficult to maintain exports like now because of the tough global competition, he said.
"These steps require time. If we still do notheing, I can't see how we can survive in the futrue," he added.
The three-year model scheme starting next year will concentrate on developing four important areas, which are product design, the supply chain, design-skilled staff and infrastructure, Katiya Greigarn, president of the Thai Association of Electrical and Electronics Industries, said yesterday.
To do original-design manufacturing,the industry needs to adopt advanced technology and improve the skills of its workforce to create high-value and differentiated products.
The industry normally requires 10,000 new workers per year, assuming annual growth of 10 per cent.
"We have to avoid the tough competition in common products because our wages are not cheap anymore. However, the government's support is needed to encourage manufacturers to do their own research and develoment as well as train skillled workers to support leading-edge technology," he said.
The association will collaborate with the National Electronics and Comuter Technology Centre and universitie to help local manufacturers conduct R&D to serve three main functions-user-centre desig n, universal design and eco-design.
Forming a cluster for the industry will help reduce maufacturers' logistics costs and facilitate their developing the necessary infrastructure together including modern laboratories.
Without state support ffor the industry's development, it will be difficult to maintain exports like now because of the tough global competition, he said.
"These steps require time. If we still do notheing, I can't see how we can survive in the futrue," he added.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Creative in the kitchen
Introduced to in the US in the early 1970, the first modern food processors were designed by Carl Sontheimer, the brilliant engineer who founded Cuisinart, a brand that is today recognised by culinary experts the world over.
In 1989, Conair Group took over Sontheimer's business and expanded the product line to include hightech kitchen utensils such as coffee makers, toasters, kettles, food processors, water filtration units, ice cream/yoghurt makers, cutlery, electric knives, blenders and can openers.
Cuisinart recently launched five new products and they're already proving popular with professional chefs and the brand's many fans.
For the coffee lover, there's a Grind & Brew Thermal 10-Cup Automatic Coffeemaker that grinds the beans before rustling up a brew. It's a double-wall, insulated, brushed metal, thermal carafe that keep up to 10 cups of java juice hot for hours.
Also new to the Thai market is the Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill, an elegant stainless steel unit that consistently grinds coffee beans to preserve delicate natural oils, maximising both flavour and aroma. It's easy to use too:simply select the desired grind consistency and cup quantity and the Burr Mill automatically stops when the right amount of coffee has been ground.
Tea making is easy and fast with a Cordless Automatic Electric Kettle in stainless steel that boils two litres of water in minuteds. While the tea is brewing, make the toast in the Classic 2-Slice Toaster in brushed stainless polished chrome that lets you defrost and toast bagels and bread.
Last but not least, the Smart Stick Hand Blender lets you blend, prep and whip a variety of ingredients and also features whisk and chopper attachments, perfect for that morning smoothie!
In 1989, Conair Group took over Sontheimer's business and expanded the product line to include hightech kitchen utensils such as coffee makers, toasters, kettles, food processors, water filtration units, ice cream/yoghurt makers, cutlery, electric knives, blenders and can openers.
Cuisinart recently launched five new products and they're already proving popular with professional chefs and the brand's many fans.
For the coffee lover, there's a Grind & Brew Thermal 10-Cup Automatic Coffeemaker that grinds the beans before rustling up a brew. It's a double-wall, insulated, brushed metal, thermal carafe that keep up to 10 cups of java juice hot for hours.
Also new to the Thai market is the Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill, an elegant stainless steel unit that consistently grinds coffee beans to preserve delicate natural oils, maximising both flavour and aroma. It's easy to use too:simply select the desired grind consistency and cup quantity and the Burr Mill automatically stops when the right amount of coffee has been ground.
Tea making is easy and fast with a Cordless Automatic Electric Kettle in stainless steel that boils two litres of water in minuteds. While the tea is brewing, make the toast in the Classic 2-Slice Toaster in brushed stainless polished chrome that lets you defrost and toast bagels and bread.
Last but not least, the Smart Stick Hand Blender lets you blend, prep and whip a variety of ingredients and also features whisk and chopper attachments, perfect for that morning smoothie!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
UK'S PRINCE PHILIP LOSES HIS CONTROL OVER MODERN TV SETS
Britain's Prince Philip said he was baffled by modern television remote controls and ended up lying on the floor by the set to operate it instead,in a video posted yesterday on the internet.
The husband of Queen Elizabeth II bemoaned the design of televisions and praised people's tolerance for coping with them, in a clip on the official Royal Channel on the video-sharing website YouTube.
"I think people are very tolerant, the way they go on tolerating these ghastly things," the 88-year-old said, before laying into television set design.
"You used to put it on the floor, and then they put the controls on the bottom so you had to lie on the floor, and then if you wanted to record something the recorder was underneath.
"So you ended up lying on the floor with a torch in your teeth, a magnifying glass and an instruction book.
"Either that or you had to employ a grandson of age 10 to do it for you."
His comments were made in an interview marking the 50th anniversary of a Design Council prize in his name.
"To work out how to operate a television set you practically have to make love to the thing." he said, according to The Times newspaper.
The husband of Queen Elizabeth II bemoaned the design of televisions and praised people's tolerance for coping with them, in a clip on the official Royal Channel on the video-sharing website YouTube.
"I think people are very tolerant, the way they go on tolerating these ghastly things," the 88-year-old said, before laying into television set design.
"You used to put it on the floor, and then they put the controls on the bottom so you had to lie on the floor, and then if you wanted to record something the recorder was underneath.
"So you ended up lying on the floor with a torch in your teeth, a magnifying glass and an instruction book.
"Either that or you had to employ a grandson of age 10 to do it for you."
His comments were made in an interview marking the 50th anniversary of a Design Council prize in his name.
"To work out how to operate a television set you practically have to make love to the thing." he said, according to The Times newspaper.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Toshiba to continue investing in Thailand
Toshiba Corporation of Japan insists it will continue its investment in Thailand,which is a candidate for an LED lighting production base next year.
"Thailand is the most important production base and marketing arm of Toshiba because it makes products for the whole world, while China only serves the domestic and Japanese markets,"chairman Atsutoshi Nishida said during a meeting yesterday with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
Toshiba increased its focus on Asean and expects its Thai operation will export more to Asean and the six countries that have free trade agreements with the 10-member economic bloc.
Toshiba entered the Thai market through a joint venture with Thai partners 40 years ago. It has 16 subsidiaries in Thailand with total turnover of US$2.6 billion and 13,000 employees.
The newest subsidiary, Toshiba Storage Device (Thailand) Co (TSDT), will open its hard disk drive (HDD) plant in Navanakorn Industrial Estate Zone 3 on Oct 14. TSDT has registered capital of about 1 billion baht.
Apart from HDD, Toshiba is considering setting up a large new production facility for LED bulbs. Toshiba Thailand has had a lighting production facility for 35 years.
Mr Nishida told Mr Abhisit that Toshiba had long focused on energy-saving businesses. Toshiba in Japan has already invested in nuclear, thermal and solar power, and electrical appliances that use less energy. It is also trying to curb carbon dioxide emissions.
Mr Abhisit said Toshiba's business strategy was in line with Thai government policy, which values environmental issues and alternative energy investment.
Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, chairwoman of Toshiba (Thailand) Co, the local distributor of Toshiba appliances, said the parent firm's policy meant it would reduce CO2 emissions from home appliance production units and also from product design and production procedures.
Sales of Toshiba (Thailand) in the first half of fiscal year 2009 starting on April 1 grew by 11-12%, compared with an earlier projection of 8%. Marketing activities with dealers and consumers to celebrate its 40th anniversary in Thailand contributed to the rise.
The company expects sales in the second half will grow by 20% because of new product developments and an improved economy.
"Thailand is the most important production base and marketing arm of Toshiba because it makes products for the whole world, while China only serves the domestic and Japanese markets,"chairman Atsutoshi Nishida said during a meeting yesterday with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
Toshiba increased its focus on Asean and expects its Thai operation will export more to Asean and the six countries that have free trade agreements with the 10-member economic bloc.
Toshiba entered the Thai market through a joint venture with Thai partners 40 years ago. It has 16 subsidiaries in Thailand with total turnover of US$2.6 billion and 13,000 employees.
The newest subsidiary, Toshiba Storage Device (Thailand) Co (TSDT), will open its hard disk drive (HDD) plant in Navanakorn Industrial Estate Zone 3 on Oct 14. TSDT has registered capital of about 1 billion baht.
Apart from HDD, Toshiba is considering setting up a large new production facility for LED bulbs. Toshiba Thailand has had a lighting production facility for 35 years.
Mr Nishida told Mr Abhisit that Toshiba had long focused on energy-saving businesses. Toshiba in Japan has already invested in nuclear, thermal and solar power, and electrical appliances that use less energy. It is also trying to curb carbon dioxide emissions.
Mr Abhisit said Toshiba's business strategy was in line with Thai government policy, which values environmental issues and alternative energy investment.
Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, chairwoman of Toshiba (Thailand) Co, the local distributor of Toshiba appliances, said the parent firm's policy meant it would reduce CO2 emissions from home appliance production units and also from product design and production procedures.
Sales of Toshiba (Thailand) in the first half of fiscal year 2009 starting on April 1 grew by 11-12%, compared with an earlier projection of 8%. Marketing activities with dealers and consumers to celebrate its 40th anniversary in Thailand contributed to the rise.
The company expects sales in the second half will grow by 20% because of new product developments and an improved economy.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Air-con deals aid SNC margin
SNC Former Plc, a SET-listed maker of steel and aluminium parts for airconditioners, expects its margins will improve next year after it concludes deals to supply four foreign air-conditioner producers.
SNC chief executive Somchai Thaisanguanvorakul said the company was in talks with companies in Japan, Australia, the Middle East and the United States to supply air-conditioner parts designed and developed by SNC.
"The first deal with a Japanese airconditioner producer is likely to be completed late next month or in early December and the others early next year.These bulk sales will boost our revenues and margins next year," he said.
Initially, the Japanese company wanted to hire Chinese suppliers to produce parts for it but SNC sent it some sample products for consideration. Its executives were impressed by the high quality of Thai products, which are priced similarly to the Chinese parts.
SNC forecast that it would achieve 20% revenue growth this year, from 4.04 billion baht last year. The company has invested 200 million baht in new machinery and equipment so far.
Next year, SNC's profitability and net margin are expected to improve from 3% this year as the products to be sold to the four new customers are being developed locally from upstream to downstream production.
Mr Somchai said the new deals would also lift the company's production capacity by 60% from one million units of air-conditioners per year.
"Demand for air-conditioners has shrunk due to the global economic slowdown. However, new orders are improving after many people expect that the global economy will pick up next year," he said.
In the first half, SNC posted a net profit of 71.69 million baht on revenues of 3.07 billion. In the second quarter alone, its net profit was 37.39 million and revenues totalled 1.5 billion baht,of which 1.04 billion came from OEM (original equipment manufacturer) contracts and the rest from sales of residential and automobile air-conditioner parts.
SNC shares closed yesterday on the SET at 6.25 baht, up five satang, in trade worth 1.6 million baht.
SNC chief executive Somchai Thaisanguanvorakul said the company was in talks with companies in Japan, Australia, the Middle East and the United States to supply air-conditioner parts designed and developed by SNC.
"The first deal with a Japanese airconditioner producer is likely to be completed late next month or in early December and the others early next year.These bulk sales will boost our revenues and margins next year," he said.
Initially, the Japanese company wanted to hire Chinese suppliers to produce parts for it but SNC sent it some sample products for consideration. Its executives were impressed by the high quality of Thai products, which are priced similarly to the Chinese parts.
SNC forecast that it would achieve 20% revenue growth this year, from 4.04 billion baht last year. The company has invested 200 million baht in new machinery and equipment so far.
Next year, SNC's profitability and net margin are expected to improve from 3% this year as the products to be sold to the four new customers are being developed locally from upstream to downstream production.
Mr Somchai said the new deals would also lift the company's production capacity by 60% from one million units of air-conditioners per year.
"Demand for air-conditioners has shrunk due to the global economic slowdown. However, new orders are improving after many people expect that the global economy will pick up next year," he said.
In the first half, SNC posted a net profit of 71.69 million baht on revenues of 3.07 billion. In the second quarter alone, its net profit was 37.39 million and revenues totalled 1.5 billion baht,of which 1.04 billion came from OEM (original equipment manufacturer) contracts and the rest from sales of residential and automobile air-conditioner parts.
SNC shares closed yesterday on the SET at 6.25 baht, up five satang, in trade worth 1.6 million baht.
TV in 3D coming to living room
You've seen movies in 3D.Now, how about your favourite TV series?
Panasonic Corp last week unveiled a 50-inch high-definition 3D plasma television and glasses that make images appear like you can touch them.
At a demonstration at Panasonic's head office in Osaka, Formula One race cars roared right by viewers and gymnasts barreled down a runway, hitting vaulting horse and flipping toward the audience.
"We've introduced concrete plans to deliver the first 3D into people's homes.It won't disappoint," said Yoshiiku Miyata, Panasonic managing executive officer in charge of audio visual products.
He declined to comment on an exact release date or price tag, stating that the company hopes the new TV sets will hit shelves sometime in 2010.
The technology works by tricking the brain into seeing 3D as high-speed shutters in the glasses work in sync with the TV to deliver a double layered image at twice the speed of normal TV.
"When the TV is showing the left image, the shutter closes the right eye so people can see only the left image,"explained Keisuke Suetsugi, manager in charge of high quality AV development.
"And the next moment, when the TV is showing the right image, the shutter glass is covering the left."
The company hopes the smaller, more living room friendly 50-inch model will become a popular choice for home theatres than a 103-inch big brother that debuted last October.
The new model will go on display to the public at the CEATEC Japan tech show from today until Saturday.
Panasonic announced in August it will team up with Twentieth Century Fox and Lightstorm Entertainment in the making of Oscar-winning director James Cameron's new 3D film Avatar ,set to open in theaters worldwide this December.
Chief rival Sony Corp announced earlier this month it also plans to launch 3D TVs by 2010.
Panasonic Corp last week unveiled a 50-inch high-definition 3D plasma television and glasses that make images appear like you can touch them.
At a demonstration at Panasonic's head office in Osaka, Formula One race cars roared right by viewers and gymnasts barreled down a runway, hitting vaulting horse and flipping toward the audience.
"We've introduced concrete plans to deliver the first 3D into people's homes.It won't disappoint," said Yoshiiku Miyata, Panasonic managing executive officer in charge of audio visual products.
He declined to comment on an exact release date or price tag, stating that the company hopes the new TV sets will hit shelves sometime in 2010.
The technology works by tricking the brain into seeing 3D as high-speed shutters in the glasses work in sync with the TV to deliver a double layered image at twice the speed of normal TV.
"When the TV is showing the left image, the shutter closes the right eye so people can see only the left image,"explained Keisuke Suetsugi, manager in charge of high quality AV development.
"And the next moment, when the TV is showing the right image, the shutter glass is covering the left."
The company hopes the smaller, more living room friendly 50-inch model will become a popular choice for home theatres than a 103-inch big brother that debuted last October.
The new model will go on display to the public at the CEATEC Japan tech show from today until Saturday.
Panasonic announced in August it will team up with Twentieth Century Fox and Lightstorm Entertainment in the making of Oscar-winning director James Cameron's new 3D film Avatar ,set to open in theaters worldwide this December.
Chief rival Sony Corp announced earlier this month it also plans to launch 3D TVs by 2010.
HIGH-SPEED EXCHANGE SYSTEM, SURGICAL DEVICE WIN AWARDS
Nine projects out of 543 entrants have been chosen for this year's National Innovation Awards, a contest aimed at promoting and encouraging local development of innovative technologies.
The chairman of the awards' selection committee, former industry minister Kosit Panpiemras, said the contest could be used to reduce imports of computer-software products and promote local intellectual property in both local and international markets.
Run by the National Innovation Agency (NIA), the awards are divided into two categories: one for economic contributions and the other for social contributions. Points are awarded in accordance with the use of the latest technologies and level of innovation, process management and possible benefits.
The winner of the National Innovation Award for Economic Contribution was the Forth mini-Multi Service Access Network (mini-MSAN), developed by Forth Corp in Bangkok. The device is a high-speed telephone and Internet exchange system that uses high technology. It was designed for the multimedia services of TOT, including home telephone, public telephone, high-speed Internet and fibre-to-the-home super-Internet broadband.
Sawat Erbchokchai, research-and-development and business-development director at Forth, said the mini-MSAN would do away with the need to import telephone exchanges worth Bt1.5 billion. The device will enable TOT to provide Internet-protocol TV and high-speed Internet access to customers around the country.
Kosit said the first runner-up in the economic-contribution category was Laminated Paper Recovery, developed by the Flexo Research Group. The process is a global innovation in the production of alternative paper pulp from waste laminated paper. Biological and chemical technologies are applied when a particular enzyme, which can degrade laminated paper, is used to remove the paper from various materials, such as aluminium foil and plastic. Then the paper is decomposed to become pulp, which can be recycled to produce paper. The technology saves costs and is environmentally friendly, Kosit said.
A second runner-up award went to C-Move Tracking System, developed by DX Innovation. The software-system innovation helps manage the transport of manufactured products. Shippers and logistics service providers can use C-Move to enhance the efficiency of product-transport systems, reducing the number of empty trips made by trucks and cutting transport costs.
The NIA gave merit awards in the economic-contribution category to B-Move RFID Sensor Network for Vehicle Tracking and LeKiSe T5 Fluorescent Lamp Label No 5.
The B-Move Sensor Network is a wireless sensor network for real-time vehicle tracking using embedded systems, communications engineering, computer engineering and logistics systems. It tracks and monitors vehicles in real-time using a radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensor network. It has low operating costs and can be applied widely in the industrial sector.
The LeKiSe T5 Fluorescent Lamp claims to have maximum efficiency. It can save 40 per cent of electricity and uses fluorescent-lamp-manufacturing technology, materials and process development technology, as well as a special coating consisting of phosphor and alumina that increases luminance.
Kosit said the National Innovation Award for Social Contribution was won by the PSU Carpal Tunnel Retractor, which he described as a world-class innovation in surgical equipment designed to treat numbness in the wrist area through a small incision measuring 1.5-1.8 centimetres.
The device makes a small tunnel in the space between nerves, tendons and muscles to improve lighting for an operation lasting only eight to 10 minutes.
The developer of the PSU Carpal Tunnel Retractor, Sunton Wongsiri, who is a lecturer in the Orthopaedic Department at Prince of Songkla University's Songklanagarind Hospital, said the device could help patients suffering from numbness in the wrist area that could result in permanent amyotrophy, a wasting away of muscle tissue. About 5.6 per cent of women are at risk of this disease.
He said the device enabled recovery within a week without recurrence for Bt1,500 to Bt2,000 per treatment. It not only treats disease quickly, but also reduces the need for imported medical equipment.
Sunton said Prince of Songkla University was now proceeding with commercial exploitation of the innovation.
The NIA did not make awards for first or second runners-up in the social-contribution category. However, it gave merit awards to two projects, one called CU-Detect and the other Microtube Gel Test for Blood Typing.
CU-Detect is a medical liquid detector designed to test for type-A (H1N1) influenza virus that provides results within 30 minutes. The detector helps reduce the use of laboratory equipment and can be used in areas with limited equipment and personnel. This low-cost analysis set can also reduce imports of expensive liquid detectors that are slower to show results.
The Microtube Gel Test for Blood Typing uses porous gel filtration to separate proteins to determine the gathering reaction in haemoglobin. Results are equivalent to those from conventional tube testing.
The chairman of the awards' selection committee, former industry minister Kosit Panpiemras, said the contest could be used to reduce imports of computer-software products and promote local intellectual property in both local and international markets.
Run by the National Innovation Agency (NIA), the awards are divided into two categories: one for economic contributions and the other for social contributions. Points are awarded in accordance with the use of the latest technologies and level of innovation, process management and possible benefits.
The winner of the National Innovation Award for Economic Contribution was the Forth mini-Multi Service Access Network (mini-MSAN), developed by Forth Corp in Bangkok. The device is a high-speed telephone and Internet exchange system that uses high technology. It was designed for the multimedia services of TOT, including home telephone, public telephone, high-speed Internet and fibre-to-the-home super-Internet broadband.
Sawat Erbchokchai, research-and-development and business-development director at Forth, said the mini-MSAN would do away with the need to import telephone exchanges worth Bt1.5 billion. The device will enable TOT to provide Internet-protocol TV and high-speed Internet access to customers around the country.
Kosit said the first runner-up in the economic-contribution category was Laminated Paper Recovery, developed by the Flexo Research Group. The process is a global innovation in the production of alternative paper pulp from waste laminated paper. Biological and chemical technologies are applied when a particular enzyme, which can degrade laminated paper, is used to remove the paper from various materials, such as aluminium foil and plastic. Then the paper is decomposed to become pulp, which can be recycled to produce paper. The technology saves costs and is environmentally friendly, Kosit said.
A second runner-up award went to C-Move Tracking System, developed by DX Innovation. The software-system innovation helps manage the transport of manufactured products. Shippers and logistics service providers can use C-Move to enhance the efficiency of product-transport systems, reducing the number of empty trips made by trucks and cutting transport costs.
The NIA gave merit awards in the economic-contribution category to B-Move RFID Sensor Network for Vehicle Tracking and LeKiSe T5 Fluorescent Lamp Label No 5.
The B-Move Sensor Network is a wireless sensor network for real-time vehicle tracking using embedded systems, communications engineering, computer engineering and logistics systems. It tracks and monitors vehicles in real-time using a radio-frequency identification (RFID) sensor network. It has low operating costs and can be applied widely in the industrial sector.
The LeKiSe T5 Fluorescent Lamp claims to have maximum efficiency. It can save 40 per cent of electricity and uses fluorescent-lamp-manufacturing technology, materials and process development technology, as well as a special coating consisting of phosphor and alumina that increases luminance.
Kosit said the National Innovation Award for Social Contribution was won by the PSU Carpal Tunnel Retractor, which he described as a world-class innovation in surgical equipment designed to treat numbness in the wrist area through a small incision measuring 1.5-1.8 centimetres.
The device makes a small tunnel in the space between nerves, tendons and muscles to improve lighting for an operation lasting only eight to 10 minutes.
The developer of the PSU Carpal Tunnel Retractor, Sunton Wongsiri, who is a lecturer in the Orthopaedic Department at Prince of Songkla University's Songklanagarind Hospital, said the device could help patients suffering from numbness in the wrist area that could result in permanent amyotrophy, a wasting away of muscle tissue. About 5.6 per cent of women are at risk of this disease.
He said the device enabled recovery within a week without recurrence for Bt1,500 to Bt2,000 per treatment. It not only treats disease quickly, but also reduces the need for imported medical equipment.
Sunton said Prince of Songkla University was now proceeding with commercial exploitation of the innovation.
The NIA did not make awards for first or second runners-up in the social-contribution category. However, it gave merit awards to two projects, one called CU-Detect and the other Microtube Gel Test for Blood Typing.
CU-Detect is a medical liquid detector designed to test for type-A (H1N1) influenza virus that provides results within 30 minutes. The detector helps reduce the use of laboratory equipment and can be used in areas with limited equipment and personnel. This low-cost analysis set can also reduce imports of expensive liquid detectors that are slower to show results.
The Microtube Gel Test for Blood Typing uses porous gel filtration to separate proteins to determine the gathering reaction in haemoglobin. Results are equivalent to those from conventional tube testing.
Friday, October 2, 2009
GE's five leadership traits
Multinational conglomerate GE believes leaders must possess five distinguishing qualities:
External Focus: Instead of inward looking, they listen to what customers and society say.
Clear Thinking: Leaders must be "crystal clear" in their thoughts.
Imagination: Leaders must have imagination and be capable of innovation and "thinking outside the box".
Inclusiveness and compassion: Leaders must be considerate to both their team and to customers who use their services. They don't think about people solely from their own viewpoint, but consider others' feelings as well.
Expertise: Leaders must be very good at what they do.
External Focus: Instead of inward looking, they listen to what customers and society say.
Clear Thinking: Leaders must be "crystal clear" in their thoughts.
Imagination: Leaders must have imagination and be capable of innovation and "thinking outside the box".
Inclusiveness and compassion: Leaders must be considerate to both their team and to customers who use their services. They don't think about people solely from their own viewpoint, but consider others' feelings as well.
Expertise: Leaders must be very good at what they do.
ANTICIPATION OF CHANGE HELPS GE EVOLVE
General Electric, better known simply as GE, has an underlying strength in its ability to anticipate change and to continually evolve, both as an organisation and in the way it does business.
So says Pornlert Lattanan, GE's president and national executive for Thailand and Laos, when speaking of the vast US-based conglomerate that Forbes this year described as the world's largest company.
He said the director of the Sasin Graudate Institute of Business Administration, Toemsakdi Krishnamra, had recently aasked why GE had responded so well to the world's financial crisis.
In reply, GE denied "responding" to the crisis. Rather, it had anticipated the crisis and prepared well beforehand.
"We anticipated this, at my level, two years earlier and we had an action plan one year beforehand," Pornlert said.
Having anticipated a shift in the world's economic power, GE began several years ago what it calls "reverse innovation". This involves the design of products for emerging markets and making them global, instead following conventional wisdom and creating products for developed economies land adapting them for emerging countriems (GE's chairman and chief executive, Jeffrey Immelt, has written specifically about this. See "How GE us Disrupting Itself", Harvard Business Review, September 28.)
Pornlet told The Nation in an exclusive interview that GE had redesigned its business mod,el to develop products "from scratch" for developing markets, and although these products might not be among the most sophosticated, they worked well for those markets.
However, the products are now being sold in the US and other developed markets because users in those countries have been forced to reduce their costs.
"They are now willing to pay 50 per cent for an 80-per-cent performance," Pornlert said. "You don't have to drive a top-class car every day.When you go out looking for a land site, would you drive your Lexus? Wouldn't you rather drive a pickup?"
In his Harvard Business Review article,Immelt refers to a US@1,000 (Bt33,400) handheld electrocar-diogram device and a portable ultrasound machine, developed originally for India and China, as being among GE's "reverse innovation" products that are now being sold in the US.
As well as product development, GS has found Asia to be a good place in which to study new applications that can be applied worldwide, Pornlert said.
Pornlert said the "evolving GE" had given rise to a joke within the company: "If you don't like something, don't worry. It will be gone in six months. On the other hand, if you like something, it may also be gone in six months.
In a big corporation, there is always a chance that something will have to be ahandoned, even if it is believed to be good, because it doesn't work well elsewhere, he said.
"Internal reflection" is a mechanism that helps GE to maintain its evolution. The company has an executive development course for executives with high potential. It covers the conglomerate's worldwide operations. Four of the 30 executives chosen for this year's course, which had the theme "Leadership for the 21st century", elected to come to Southeast Asia, where they visited Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
During a one-week visit to Thailand, the executives explored some leading Thai companies and universities, including Siam Cement and the Sasin institute. They also interviewed members of GE Thailand's staff.
Pornlert said he could not disclose what the executives thought about leadership for the 21st century before they submitted their final reports to GE's chief executive. However, one point of reflection was that GE Thailand was staffed mainly by "Generation X" workers, and a future challenge would be dealing with youngenr generations so that they felt pride in working for GE and an obligation to the company.
Pornlert believes the spirit of corporate social responsibility could help, and feels that CST should assume a broader concept, and should not be limited, for instance, to having the staff paint a school.
"We'd like them to feel good about what they do.[They should feel that] what they're doing has produced some impact on society; has been meaningful."
To motivate younger-generation workers, the company must not only be concerned for the young ones, but also for the older staff, who have to be trained to adjust their communications, their job assignments and their coaching methods, he said.
Pornlert said GE had succeeded well in Thailand, where it had achieved 25-per-cent annual growth for the past six or seven years. Last year, the firm recorded flat growth, mainly because it movejd out the high-growth finance business to merge this operation with Bank of Ayudhya, in which it acquired a controlling stake.
GE Thailand's business strategy is to look out for more non-finance enterprises, including energy infrastructure, technology infrastructure and consumer and industrial businesses.
Pornlert said the government's three-year Thai Khemkaeng investment programme was expected to be a boon to GE's businesses because it highlighted many areas in which the company had know-how and expertise.
Despite its worldwide coverage, GE would liek to be perceived in Thailand as a local player "that shares the same destiny as everybody in the country", Pornlert said.
So says Pornlert Lattanan, GE's president and national executive for Thailand and Laos, when speaking of the vast US-based conglomerate that Forbes this year described as the world's largest company.
He said the director of the Sasin Graudate Institute of Business Administration, Toemsakdi Krishnamra, had recently aasked why GE had responded so well to the world's financial crisis.
In reply, GE denied "responding" to the crisis. Rather, it had anticipated the crisis and prepared well beforehand.
"We anticipated this, at my level, two years earlier and we had an action plan one year beforehand," Pornlert said.
Having anticipated a shift in the world's economic power, GE began several years ago what it calls "reverse innovation". This involves the design of products for emerging markets and making them global, instead following conventional wisdom and creating products for developed economies land adapting them for emerging countriems (GE's chairman and chief executive, Jeffrey Immelt, has written specifically about this. See "How GE us Disrupting Itself", Harvard Business Review, September 28.)
Pornlet told The Nation in an exclusive interview that GE had redesigned its business mod,el to develop products "from scratch" for developing markets, and although these products might not be among the most sophosticated, they worked well for those markets.
However, the products are now being sold in the US and other developed markets because users in those countries have been forced to reduce their costs.
"They are now willing to pay 50 per cent for an 80-per-cent performance," Pornlert said. "You don't have to drive a top-class car every day.When you go out looking for a land site, would you drive your Lexus? Wouldn't you rather drive a pickup?"
In his Harvard Business Review article,Immelt refers to a US@1,000 (Bt33,400) handheld electrocar-diogram device and a portable ultrasound machine, developed originally for India and China, as being among GE's "reverse innovation" products that are now being sold in the US.
As well as product development, GS has found Asia to be a good place in which to study new applications that can be applied worldwide, Pornlert said.
Pornlert said the "evolving GE" had given rise to a joke within the company: "If you don't like something, don't worry. It will be gone in six months. On the other hand, if you like something, it may also be gone in six months.
In a big corporation, there is always a chance that something will have to be ahandoned, even if it is believed to be good, because it doesn't work well elsewhere, he said.
"Internal reflection" is a mechanism that helps GE to maintain its evolution. The company has an executive development course for executives with high potential. It covers the conglomerate's worldwide operations. Four of the 30 executives chosen for this year's course, which had the theme "Leadership for the 21st century", elected to come to Southeast Asia, where they visited Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
During a one-week visit to Thailand, the executives explored some leading Thai companies and universities, including Siam Cement and the Sasin institute. They also interviewed members of GE Thailand's staff.
Pornlert said he could not disclose what the executives thought about leadership for the 21st century before they submitted their final reports to GE's chief executive. However, one point of reflection was that GE Thailand was staffed mainly by "Generation X" workers, and a future challenge would be dealing with youngenr generations so that they felt pride in working for GE and an obligation to the company.
Pornlert believes the spirit of corporate social responsibility could help, and feels that CST should assume a broader concept, and should not be limited, for instance, to having the staff paint a school.
"We'd like them to feel good about what they do.[They should feel that] what they're doing has produced some impact on society; has been meaningful."
To motivate younger-generation workers, the company must not only be concerned for the young ones, but also for the older staff, who have to be trained to adjust their communications, their job assignments and their coaching methods, he said.
Pornlert said GE had succeeded well in Thailand, where it had achieved 25-per-cent annual growth for the past six or seven years. Last year, the firm recorded flat growth, mainly because it movejd out the high-growth finance business to merge this operation with Bank of Ayudhya, in which it acquired a controlling stake.
GE Thailand's business strategy is to look out for more non-finance enterprises, including energy infrastructure, technology infrastructure and consumer and industrial businesses.
Pornlert said the government's three-year Thai Khemkaeng investment programme was expected to be a boon to GE's businesses because it highlighted many areas in which the company had know-how and expertise.
Despite its worldwide coverage, GE would liek to be perceived in Thailand as a local player "that shares the same destiny as everybody in the country", Pornlert said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)