Global showcase of $820b consumer electronics gets under way in Berlin

In an opening keynote address titled “Seamless Experience,” Samsung President Jongwoo Park shared Samsung’s determination to develop products that not only surpass existing standards, but also help consumers who feel left behind catch up with the rapid pace of technological advances.

DR Park said Samsung is ontrackondrivethe explosive growth of CE industry with strategic alliances, especially in the television area. “We have launched the Armani TV in alliance with the famous designer. This TV is an achievement made by the combined power of Samsung’s excellent technology and Armani’s emotional design concept. The second alliance is for TV2.0 through our partnership with USA Today, Google, and Naver. We have also forged an alliance with Adidas,” he said.

IFA, the global trade platform for the $680 billion consumer electronics (CE) industry, for the first time also incorporated the world’s $140 billion home appliances industry to attract 1,245 exhibitors from 63 countries. Intensified partnership with specialist dealers and massive international media interest marked the opening of the largest CE industry exhibition which almost doubled representation of countries this year compared to 32 countries last year.

Dr Christian Goke, CEO of Messe Berlin, said the world’s pre-eminent platform for the CE industry was about to mark another milestone in its 80-year old history by recording orders exceeding 3 billion euros this year. Last year, order totalled 2.75 billion euros. “With the addition of home appliances, this year’s edition of IFA is the strongest ever. It has never been this big ion space terms with an extra 11,000 square metres of temporary space added.”

Goke said the combination of consumer electronics and home appliances creates an unprecedented diversity making IFA the most attractive platform for international dealers, buyers, consumers and the industry as a whole.

Samsung’s Dr. Park in his address said seamless experience’ is the new buzzword in the industry. “We have not just embraced it, we’re leading it,” he said. “Consumers today have access to some the most advanced devices but many of them do not work well together and we’re on a mission to change that so consumers can fully enjoy the technological power of the devices anytime and anywhere.”

With “Seamless Experience” as its goal, Samsung also announced its 4C leadership initiative that will propel the company’s product development and marketing under four main concepts: Content & Service, Connectivity, Creativity, and Component.

issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com