Konica Minolta 2003 Annual Report Download - page 16

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KONICA M INOLTA HOLDINGS, INC. 2 0 0 3
Pag e 14
In the optics business, we will expand our business scale and bolster profitability by utilizing
management resources which have been reinforced by the integration between Konica and
Minolta.
In the optical pickup lens business, the new company’s aspherical plastic lenses for
optical disks, mainly used in CDs and DVDs, enjoy wide market acclaim for their quality,
based on our technology and production capacity, while boasting an overwhelming share of
the market.
In the optics-related products business, an area earmarked for significant future growth,
we are seeing new entrants from other industries and in-house manufacturing by major
corporate clients, serving to further intensify competition in this business. Against the
backdrop of continued downturn in the IT sector, fluctuation in order volumes and downward
pressure on prices, we see little reason for short-term optimism. Nevertheless, the new
company will also step up its development of future-oriented technologies. Looking ahead,
we will work to retain our dominant position in the business by centering our R&D on
aspherical plastic lenses for optical discs for use with blue-violet lasers, the next-generation
lasers, and fortify our patent protection strategy and flexible production capabilities. In
particular, both Konica and Minolta have received high praise for their ultra-high-precision
metal molding technologies and casting technology, and for addressing the diverse needs of
customers in the lens and optical design technology market.
In conjunction with the steady promotion of the optical pickup lens business, we will also
expand business in microcamera units (MCUs) and electronic materials (EM).
The demand for MCUs for application in mobile phones is anticipated to increase in line
with demands for greater picture quality and pixilation. We are well positioned to meet this
Business Strateg y
Optics Business
Optical Pickup Lenses
Using our world-class optical technologies, we supply
aspherical plastic lenses that are used in the optical
pickup mechanisms for a variety of optical disk drives
and players, including those used in notebook
computers and DVD players.