Konica Minolta 2000 Annual Report Download - page 15

Download and view the complete annual report

Please find page 15 of the 2000 Konica Minolta annual report below. You can navigate through the pages in the report by either clicking on the pages listed below, or by using the keyword search tool below to find specific information within the annual report.

Page out of 36

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • 21
  • 22
  • 23
  • 24
  • 25
  • 26
  • 27
  • 28
  • 29
  • 30
  • 31
  • 32
  • 33
  • 34
  • 35
  • 36

KONICA 13
Review of Operations & Outlook
for film-in camera picture quality, by
expanding marketing channels.
Sales of photographic film and paper
in the United States increased 22%
during fiscal 2000, and Konica Photo
Imaging, Inc., returned to profitability.
Sales in Europe and Asia were also
brisk, with concentrated marketing
campaigns in Russia and selected Asian
countries leading to significant increas-
es in sales. However, depressed
domestic demand resulted in a decline
in overall photographic materials sales.
In the strategic photofinishing field,
Konica added the low-end QD-21 Limited
model and the standard QD-21 Plus
model to its QD-21 digital minilab series.
Despite the sales decline, cost-cutting
measures and business restructuring
led to a sharp rise in operating income
during fiscal 2000.
Medical and Graphic
Company
Demand for X-ray film was stagnant
in fiscal 2000 and price competition
remained fierce. As the medical indus-
try continued its shift toward the use of
digital imaging processing equipment,
Konica leveraged its sound reputation
to strengthen its position in several key
product categories.
Konica released the Konica DRY PRO
722, a high-performance, high-volume
dry laser imager that uses ecologically
sound dry silver-halide film technology.
The Konica Direct Digitizer REGIUS
Model 150 was also launched during
the fiscal year. This cassette-type digital
imaging system has a compact design
and can be integrated with the Konica
DRY PRO 722, which makes it ideally
suited to emergency treatment situations.
Konica is now refining its marketing
activities to focus on total diagnostic
support systems that employ dry digital
processes.
In graphic imaging, although the
decline in demand for equipment in the
printing and pre-press fields bottomed
out during the fiscal year, the market
recovery was only slight. Konica trans-
ferred its presensitized plate business
to Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. on March
31, 1999, to facilitate its strategy of
concentrating greater resources in the
color-proofing field. This move helped
to raise Konica’s marketing efficiency
and improve profitability in the graphic
imaging field. In Japan, Konica main-
tained its overwhelming lead in color
Torikkiri Konica Mini Goody
Konica Digital Minilab QD-21 Plus System
Konica Direct Digitizer REGIUS Model 150