Konica Minolta 2005 Annual Report Download - page 10

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8
Overview of the V-5 Plan
COMPETITIVENESS IN BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES PRODUCES RESULTS
Since the integration of Konica and Minolta, the Group has worked to meld
the strengths of both firms in enhancing cost competitiveness and improving
technological strengths, in order to further strengthen the Group’s position in the
business technologies market and to establish leading brands in specified markets
and business domains as part of a genre-top strategy. We believe these efforts to
strengthen each business have established a solid base that is capable of producing
the strategic products the Group needs to effectively compete in increasingly
competitive global markets.
The color MFP bizhub C350 that was marketed from March 2004 was the Group’s
first integrated brand and has been well received by customers who value the
product’s superior cost performance, high image quality and output. Consequently,
the number of units sold and installed has already reached 44,000 units on rapid
growth in Europe and the United States.
The color MFP bizhub C450 model upgrade marketed from the spring of 2005
features new integrated firmware. The new open platform firmware can be easily
incorporated into networks consisting of third-party products. Heretofore, MFP
products in the market were a mixture of old Minolta-related firmware and old
Konica-related firmware. The new product not only standardizes firmware and allows
interconnectivity with models sold heretofore but also includes advanced
functionality. From this perspective, we believe that the Group’s new bizhub C450
will be strongly competitive.
As the bizhub C450 includes fax functionality, sales have been recording strong
growth in Japan since the product was first marketed. Consequently, the Group
believes the product can significantly boost heretofore struggling domestic sales and
will lead to significant market share gains in Japan in addition to the high market
shares already achieved in the United States and European markets.
Regrettably, the bizhub open platform firmware took longer to complete than
originally planned, and temporary disruptions caused by the consolidation and
2009
(Plan)
Color MFP
Monochrome MFP
Total
Color LBP
Monochrome LBP
Total
550
150
700
1,300
1,050
2,350
20052004
33
400
433
247
753
1,000
62
405
467
306
777
1,083
2003
19
446
465
178
692
870
Unit Sales Targets (Thousands units)
Business Technologies
Sales Trend
(Billions of Yen)
0
250
500
750
1,000
20042003 2005 2009
(Plan)
Color MFP /
Monochrome MFP
Unit Sales
(Thousands units)
Monochrome MFP
Color MFP
0
200
400
600
800
20042003 2005 2009
(Plan)