07-19-2007

HITACHI'S CHINA DESIGN STUDIO SUPPORTS HONG KONG-BASED SMES TO DESIGN AND ROLL OUT NEW CONSUMER ELECTRONICS DEVICES

HONG KONG, July 19, 2007 ¨C Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi) today announced that its Hitachi Design Studio in China has partnered with Digital Vision, Inc. (DVi) to support Hong Kong consumer electronics (CE) firms to integrate advanced storage technology into a range of devices now rolling out to customers worldwide.  

With Hitachi's unparalleled storage technology and DVi's tailor-made designs, Hong Kong-based SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises) are developing and delivering a range of hard drive-based applications such as GPS (global positioning system), security DVR, and on-the-move advertisement display solutions, for global consumer markets.  

Newly available solutions from local brands that have benefited from Hitachi Design Studio and DVi support include:

  • GPS for automobiles
  • Deployed with Hitachi's 2.5-inch 40GB hard drive
  • Developed in partnership with AutoSound
  • Now being sold to Nextar in Canada and USA
  • The GPS market, mainly driven over the past decade by in-vehicle navigation, will continue its rapid growth, reaching US$28.9 billion by 2010, according to Global Industry Analysts Inc.
  • Analysts at Frost & Sullivan predict that China¡¦s spending on in-vehicle GPS navigation systems will surge to US$3.9 billion by 2012
  • Mini Hi-Fi compact home stereo system for households
  • Deployed with Hitachi's 2.5-inch 40GBGB hard drive
  • D eveloped in partnership with Perception Digital
  • Now being sold to Sanyo in South America
  • Mini hi-fi systems are increasingly demanding high capacity storage for the large volumes of songs downloaded from CD and MP3 players
  • Security DVR for corporate clients and vehicles
  • Deployed with Hitachi's 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch hard drives
  • Developed in partnership with Streaming
  • Now being used by Bus-On-Line in China
  • Security DVR devices require durable and reliable video recording over long periods of time, therefore requiring high performance high reliability storage technology such as that provided by Hitachi hard disk drives
  • Advertisement Display for mass transit buses
  • Deployed with Hitachi's 2.5-inch 40GB hard drive
  • Developed in partnership with Streaming
  • Already widely used by Hong Kong's transport network, mobile advertisement displays are expected to become more widespread across Asia

"Hitachi has made significant investment in R&D in China, including the Hitachi Design Studio in Shenzhen, China's key technology development center," said Shinjiro Iwata, Chief Marketing Officer, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, speaking at the company's annual distributor conference held on July 17 in Macau, China. "The Studio specializes in providing proven storage integration strategies to Hong Kong-based customers looking for innovative storage solutions, and assists local device manufacturers to occupy leading positions in the competitive global market."  

Hong Kong plays a key role in exporting many CE products across the globe. In recent years, China has become Hong Kong's largest export market and according to McKinsey, China's CE market has been growing at a compound rate of 12 per cent annually. The market size is expected to reach US$132 billion by 2010, which will account for 25 per cent of the global market.  

"Local SMEs comprise 98 per cent of all Hong Kong enterprises, many of which are engaging in the CE market and enjoying competitive production costs in the Mainland. However, they may not have strong technological background in product innovation," said Pete Andreyev, chairman, DVi. "With Hitachi's storage integration expertise and DVi's design solutions, CE manufacturers in Hong Kong are able to grow and define their competitive edge in the thriving market in China."  

Hitachi Design Studios is a collection of five centers around the globe helping customers integrate hard drives into an array of applications and consumer electronics devices. These centers are located in Fujisawa (Japan), Havant (UK), San Jose (US), Shenzhen and Taipei. 

About Digital Vision Inc.
Digital Vision Inc. (DVi) is a leading Consumer Electronics (CE) company with over ten years of experience. DVi's operations commenced in 1995 as part of Vision Technology Corporation before being spun off as a separate privately held Hong Kong company in early 2006. DVi's vision is to be an industry leader in supplying innovative turnkey solutions and major components for the digital video and audio markets via OEMs, ODMs, system integrators and retailers. The company has developed over 200 consumer electronics applications, primarily focused on the rapidly growing China market. Additional information can be found at www.dvi.com.hk. 

 

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