Electronics industry in major shift
By Kim Yoo-chul
ICES CEO Gary Shapiro
LAS VEGAS ― The head of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) ― the organizer of the International Consumer Electronics Show (ICES) ― said the electronics industry is undergoing a major shift as technologies in different industries converge.
``There are shifts from discrete devices to multi-purpose devices. Robotics is certain to occur in the next 10 years. The driverless car will occur. There’s a lot of investment going into wireless cells,’’ President and CEO Gary Shapiro said at a press conference on the sidelines of ICES in Las Vegas, Thursday.
Shapiro said the global consumer electronics industry is seeing some fluctuation amid blurring lines between hardware, software and content.
``Smartphones and tablets are seeing tremendous growth with prediction of 350 million to be sold this year. We welcome the emergence of ultra high-definition (UHD) and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) TVs with connected devices,’’ he said.
Shapiro stressed technology wasn’t revolutionary, adding what was revolutionary was people adopting technology. ``Some win and others lose. UHD TVs are just arriving and it’s difficult not to buy an HD TV. That’s how it is and I am amazed at what’s here.’’
Leading Chinese companies are also displaying their UHD and OLED televisions in huge booths as part of a strategy to steal some limelight in the show, though products displayed by Korean and Japanese firms were better in terms of fine tuning, design, viewing quality, processing and technology.
He was also upbeat about the outlook for U.S. consumption. ``Projected 2013 factory level sales will be $209.6 billion, up 2.7 percent from an estimated $203.9 billion for 2012, representing a 4.7 percent gain from the previous year,’’ Shapiro told reporters.
Regarding Microsoft’s non appearance at the show, Shapiro said, ``Microsoft makes their own decision and the problem is we define participation by looking at whether they exhibit. Microsoft found there was no reason for them to exhibit.’’
Although, Apple hasn’t been at major technology shows, Shapiro said the firm was ``technically in the ICES’’ as almost all its partners were participating.
Shapiro described Korean companies as “hot companies” at the technology show. Samsung and LG Electronics unveiled their latest UHD TV sets, and also surprised the world with curved 55-inch OLED TVs.
``Samsung is a very hot company with exceptional products,’’ he said.
Shapiro said this year’s ICES is the largest innovation event in the world as the show has officially broken its record for the number of exhibitors at 3,264.