Double-digit growth for Panasonic in Saudi Arabia

Panasonic has been marking a double-digit growth in Saudi Arabia, which is the GCC’s number one market, according to Anthony Peter, director of direct communications and customer care (DCCC) group of Panasonic Marketing Middle East & Africa (MEA).
“Saudi market is expanding exponentially and we are executing many projects for the government and educational institutions across the country. Qatar is also a good bullish market for us and we are getting a number of new assignments due to Doha’s huge expansion projects. We are integrating the hardware and software technology business in the region due to heavy demand,” Peter told Arab News in an interview at GITEX.
“As part of our expansion, Panasonic Marketing Middle East has now become Panasonic Marketing Middle East and Africa. Africa is an emerging market and will be the next big market. We have established representative offices across Africa, including Kenya, Angola and Nigeria. In addition, we are planning more satellite offices across Africa by next year,” he added.
“It is important for a company like ours to be ahead of the times and anticipate customer demands and expectations, we are committed to helping Africa grow. Our association with various CSR activities across Africa is a testament to this fact,” he added.
Masao Motoki, managing director of Panasonic Marketing Middle East and Africa, said Panasonic was focusing more on business solutions than consumers at GITEX.
“We already have a very strong market position in televisions and home appliances. Solutions are the key part of our business offerings, which are backed by sound technologies and innovations,” he added.
While elaborating the importance of MEA market, Motoki who heads the entire regional operation from Dubai said companies around the world are optimistic about the region’s market and it offers lucrative opportunities for investors and global companies in a rapidly expanding industry.
“The region is showing positive signs of growth,” Motoki, who has been associated with Panasonic for more than 35 years, added.
“We aim to become the number one green innovation company in the electronic industry by 2018 when we celebrate its 100th anniversary,” he said.
Peter said Panasonic is displaying high-end system solutions tailored for industry verticals like hospitality, retail, and education.
“Our solutions and products on display at Gitex have been tailor-made to enhance business processes and streamline day-to-day operations. Panasonic is constantly innovating by offering Smart high-tech products keeping the customer and the environment central to our objective. With the long-tail of products to suit our discerning customers, we are best positioned to offer a comprehensive Smart-eco solution for homes and businesses,” Peter added.
“Our theme this year is Smart Solution Eco innovations and we have a display of new products including a smart education learning program. Our products offer students and faculty a new real learning experience as it integrates the latest technology, providing a holistic approach to improve the overall student learning and social interaction experience,” he said.
“Vehicle navigation camera is the other new product that attracted thousands of visitors. If you fix this camera on windscreen it will record all the activities in your premises including speed and position of your vehicle. This will help the police, insurance companies and the owner to find the facts later if something happens. This will be very useful for GCC countries where there are millions of vehicles and busy roads. This camera is already made mandatory in Singapore and some other countries,” he added.
Another display on GITEX is the Interactive Plasma Display Panel (TH-65PB1W).
This allows for effective, innovative presentations with high-speed simultaneous and multiple drawing capabilities. Up to 4 pens can be used simultaneously for natural, smooth, comfortable writing.
Another appeal at Panasonic stand is the elite Panaboard UB-T880W/UB-T880.
It is an interactive whiteboard that uses a projector to display PC images onto its surface and lets the presenter operate the data on the board with a finger or an Electronic Pen that works like a PC mouse.
It adds an exciting visual element to meetings that used to be all talk and few pictures, and brings rich, paperless expression to presentations that previously depended on stacks of paper handouts.
Panasonic has focused very much on different kind of high-tech projectors this time featuring breakthrough innovations such as daylight view technology, and easy-to-use LCD and DLP technology models.
Panasonic’s displays included ultra-short Throw 3D ready and interactive projectors, and the new PT-A E8000EA full-HD 3D home theater projector with 2,400 lumens of brightness 20,000 lumen 3chip DLP Projector (PT-DZ21KE).