[it168 Special Article] Digital cameras have formed a big cake market with hundreds of millions of yuan. However, facing the embarrassing situation that all high-end products are monopolized by foreign manufacturers, how to innovate and break the world where foreign products dominate the world? Various recent market signs indicate that ---
A few days ago, after following Founder and Lenovo, Huaqi launched its own digital camera product, with a 1.3-megapixel CCD lens and a price of 999 yuan. IT stores have attracted the attention of many ordinary users. The mid-to-high-end digital camera products have always been monopolized by foreign manufacturers such as Canon, Fuji, Nikon and Sony. On the other hand, most of our domestic manufacturers launch mid-to-low-end products priced below 2,000 yuan, and they are sold by many on the Internet. Readers call it "tasteless". What do domestic digital camera manufacturers think? How to break the monopoly of foreign companies in digital cameras?
Monopoly is caused by patent barriers
“Digital cameras are still an emerging IT product. It is helpless for us to start from the low end. In this field, it is completely owned by foreign companies. Patented technology barriers make it difficult to enter the high-end industry, and the production costs are also very high, which could lead to a situation where the odds are stacked against one another." Huang Haoxiang, the digital product manager of Huaqi's South China region, was shocked by the reporter at the beginning of the interview. Bitter water.
This is indeed the case. The CCD sensor (commonly known as the electronic lens), the main component of digital cameras, is currently monopolized by the Japanese companies Fuji, Sony and NEC. Huang Haoxiang did not disclose the patent fees, but We can see huge price differences among products of the same level. The retail price of 1.3 million pixel products using CMOS lenses is generally only between five and six hundred yuan.
Technical barriers also exist in the storage devices used in digital cameras, such as CF and SF cards. Relevant people from Founder said that generally mid- to low-end products can only be configured with a memory card with a maximum capacity of 8M. "No matter how much it costs, we can't accept the cost, and users can't accept the price. Only in the past six months have the prices of foreign suppliers for the core components of memory cards come down, and we dare to launch low-end products to see the market response." A friend of Digital China who did not want to be named revealed the reason why domestic digital cameras will not be launched until the second half of this year.
There is huge market demand for low-end products
“The risk of making mid-to-low-end products is small, and as the cost of storage components and power supply components decreases, and the network becomes more and more popular, for The demand for mid-to-low-end products is increasing, so it should be a good time to enter the market," said Liang Guangtao, digital product manager of Founder's South China region, which launched 1.3 million pixels very early. "We set the price of ice crystals in August and September. The tactics are very successful, the market response is unexpectedly good, and the price of 599 yuan is very attractive to ordinary users.
The reporter personally tried this product. Since the lens uses CMOS, the picture is enlarged. It's a little unclear, but it fully meets the requirements for making web pictures or family electronic photo albums, and video chatting through QQ. At a counter in Guangzhou Tianhe Computer City, a reporter saw three such digital cameras in one afternoon. The buyers are all netizens and students. From their words, the reporter learned that the most important thing when purchasing this product is the cost-effectiveness, which also reflects a mainstream voice in the IT market today. >
Competing for the mid-range market is key
Manufacturer representatives interviewed by reporters unanimously stated that by the end of this year, each manufacturer will launch 2-megapixel mid-range products or enhanced versions of new products <. /p>
“The product lines of foreign companies are also extending downwards, and 2-megapixel products will be the main battlefield in the future. "A person from Founder said: "Low-end products only pave the way for mid-range products, and mid-range products have the largest shipment volume and the most lucrative profits. ”
Industry insiders pointed out that in the next two years, there will be a market demand for at least 500,000 units of digital camera products with 2 million pixels and a price of no more than 2,400 yuan.
Huang Haoxiang said more specifically: "Today, when competition among homogeneous products is so fierce, price reductions for 2-megapixel products are inevitable. Whoever keeps up with the pace of the entire market, who is the first to launch a price war and can persist, will be the winner. The final winner."
The reporter learned that major domestic manufacturers are already making product price adjustments and a new round of marketing plans. It can be expected that by the end of the year, there will be a counterattack by domestic manufacturers against foreign manufacturers in the digital camera market.
Reporter’s Observation: Hesitating between brand and price
As the saying goes: you get what you pay for. Many readers who buy digital cameras go for well-known brands such as Canon, Sony and Fujifilm. After all, foreigners have been working in this industry for many years and are well-known for their performance and quality. The biggest complaint everyone has is the price. Not to mention the lithium battery and charger, you can’t get licensed products without five or six hundred yuan. Add in the memory card and other necessary accessories, and the price after they are fully equipped is already It's a big number.
Does the bottom-up strategy of domestic digital cameras work? Personally, I think price and accessories are two key factors. Currently, users who purchase digital cameras have changed from professionals to ordinary users. If domestically produced products have guaranteed quality, competitive prices, rich accessories, and considerate service, they can win half of the market in the mid-range product market. of.
Related information: The current layout of digital camera manufacturers in my country in 2002:
Sony began to set up a factory in Shanghai in December 2001, mainly selling and manufacturing digital cameras for Sony's high-end models. camera.
In June 2001, Fujifilm cooperated with Chinese capital to establish Suzhou Fuji Imaging Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd. to produce models with more than one million pixels.
In the spring of 2002, Olympus transferred the digital cameras currently produced in the Thailand factory to the Shenzhen factory.
Nikon cooperated with Chinese capital to establish Guangdong Nikon Camera Company in Dongguan.
Sanyo plans to transfer the production of digital camera products from the original Indonesian factory to my country in the spring of 2002.
In 2002, Minolta transferred the technology of digital camera products from its Malaysian factory to its Shanghai factory.
Kodak produces digital cameras at its Zhuhai plant.
Konica is an OEM manufacturer of digital cameras from my country.
Judging from the current market share, several international giants such as SONY, Canon, and Olympus have the commanding heights of the market, while domestic manufacturers have a passive position.