From printers to robotics, the company shifts focus from consumer markets to B2B segment and its working wonders.
EPL Champions Manchester United are known for their precision playing tactics and their winning combination of innovation, creative and intelligence. This is a club that has won the treble and holds the highest number of Championship in the league. A winning feat similarly emulated by their current technology partner, Epson.
For fans of the English team, we would have noticed the side advertising boards at Old Trafford the teams home ground emblazoned with Epson branding every-time Man U plays home. Already a global brand why would the company embark on a million-dollar sponsorship exercise to get the name up among the legions of users? Epson also signed another mouth-watering deal with Formula One Champions, team Mercedes beginning this year. Apart from just slapping the logo on these giants of Teams, Epson is providing valuable support for the team with their innovative products.
Catalyst for Change
To understand the thinking behind the involvement, we have to go back to 2011 when the company decided to so some soul searching. Leader in the consumer printing business, Epson digital inkjet printers dominated the market with affordable, quality and durable models. Photographers loved the image quality reproduced by the high end machines, mostly used in gallery exhibits. This is also the company that developed the 3LCD technology that is used on its world leading projectors. But things weren’t going so well, Global PR Manager Alastair Bourne shared his view ” after years of growth Epson started seeing a decline in the printing market, this was in line with global drop as well, we had to look at our business and see how we can recharge the company”. During the process the management realised the large portion of its business was coming from the B2B sector, which were less competitive, less cut-throat and more profitable. Decision was made, revitalisation process was set in motion and focus was shifted, Epson was ready to roll into action targeting mainly the B2B market segment.
In its latest report, the company’s growth within Southeast Asia continues to strengthen growing its corporate and industrial business, with 9% growth across the region last year in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines, with positive growth over the past five years and forecast to a double-digit growth.
Apart from printers and projectors, the two new key areas which has been added to the portfolio is in the fields of wearables and robotics. Charting the ship to new territories Epson formalised Vision 25, a long term strategy focused making the company a leader and aimed to create a new connected age of people, things and information with efficient, compact and precision technologies.
“Epson’s heritage as a watchmaker is core to its expertise in developing high performance precision technologies. Epson will continue to leverage our core technologies to create new innovations that will meet new needs across our focus segments, to bring new value to our customers through precision and smart technologies, and that will reduce impact to the environment,” said Toshimitsu Tanaka, Managing Director, Epson Singapore.
Robotics and Wearables
From printers to robotics, they could be seen as a complete paradigm shift, but not many know but Epson is a global leader in high-precision SCARA robots which the company uses for precision work in its watch factory. Engineers have improved the robots with the development of high-precision force sensors that can accurately and consistently sense forces as limited as 0.1 Newton. These robotic arms have already been deployed in factories across Southeast Asia with many currently being used in Singapore.
The company also envisions developing robots in the future that is able to see, sense, think and work like humans, and working alongside and supporting humans in a variety of situations in hospitals and homes
On the wearable space, Epson introduced with the improved commercial ready Moverio BT-300 the upgraded smart glasses first seen early this year. Moverio is an OLED binocular digital display that can provide augmented reality experience to its users. Apart from being extremely light, the augmented reality eyewear sees many applications in real world situation, one example was with drones. Epson is working with DJI which will allow drone flight commanders to navigate using the smart glasses and still be able to see what’s in front of them. If you’re wondering if these devices will be available for Malaysian markets, Danny Lee Epson General Manager Malaysia, hinted of the Moverio making its rounds with potential customers and did not discount the prospect of the robot arms in local factories.
Driving Innovation
While the new areas are seen as future growth engine, Epson will continue to develop and improve the current business of business printers and high-end projectors. PaperLab was a result of one such innovation, a full functional printing system with a paper recycling capability. Using dry process, PaperLab recycles waste paper to usable printing paper.
In the area of digital textile printing, Epson currently has 85% market share for dye-sublimation digital textile printing within Southeast Asia. Through its collaboration with its acquired Italian textile printer Robustelli, Epson plans to roll-out its high-end direct-to-garment roll-to-roll digital textile printer within the region. Commanding a high market share in Malaysia leaving competition behind, Epson projectors continue to dominates and newly introduced 25,000 lumens 3LCD laser projector would be the world’s first brightest projector to date.
On the hindsight the strategic move to realign from a heavily consumer printer business focused and having the whole company belief in the vision a total paradigm shift is one case study that will go in corporate history.
