Rick, Scitex has already developed a 6.6 Megapixel CMOS sensor....
scitex.com
....but they're using it with their LEAF family of digital camera-backs which caters exclusively to the high-end. The installed base for the LEAF line is something like 4,000-5,000. It's strictly a studio product and it has limited portability (see Leaf On-Location Kit).
scitex.com
Silicon Film has already issued a $2.8 million Purchase Order to Meltronix (MTNX) for the image sensor component of the (e)Film cartridge of the EFS-1 so they are very quickly moving into the terminal stage of the rapid product prototyping now possible on the internet with a product with a sound design platform that allows SF to incorporate changes on the fly, so the speak.
Incidentally, Meltronix is an Advanced Electronic Manufacturer with unique advanced packaging technology that is just coming out of a massive restructuring capped by an exchange of its entire debt for equity. As a result of the restructuring, Motorola and Texas Instruments are minority shareholders along with the Development Bank of Singapore and a Singaporean-based group of creditors. MTNX specializes in rapid response turn-key volume manufacturing that services a blue chip client list that includes Conexant, Hughes, Sundstrand, NSM, Raytheon, Nanogen, etc.
Think smaller and ultra-specialized version of Jabil, Solectron, Sanmina, Celestica, etc.
MeltroniX Inks $2.8M Deal for Volume Manufacturing With Silicon Film
biz.yahoo.com
meltronix.com
If they execute their internet marketing plans well -- low cost, viral and global -- the EFS-1 sets up future lower-priced versions that should even if only moderately successful should set up the commercialization of IRSN's groundbreaking work in MEMs, 3d Neostacking, flexible circuitry and superconductive optical switches.
Doug, Mktadct has some interesting notes from the 2/29 IRSN shareholders meeting:
Last, but certainly not least was Rob Webber from Silicon Film. SF could provide the impetus for FY2000 to be the breakout year for IRSN. Again, as I said in last year's report Silicon Film is not just a product, but rather an E-Commerce business model. EFS-1 has been redesigned for scalability in manufacturing; allowing easy and fast changes to the design and specifications to fit a number of differing applications. The product architecture will also allow the company to leapfrog to higher resolution imagers. As I said in an earlier post, the move to the 'next generation' EFS should occur very quickly. There are already discussions of a 4.0 megapixel and a 6.6 megapixel imager. Rob emphasized that EFS-1 will be a 'proof of concept' product. The goal is to get out in the market, show the viability and resilience of the product, and then offer enhancements and add-ons. Owners of EFS-1 will be allowed to upgrade to later models with some sort of an offset to the price paid for EFS-1. Silicon Film recently filed 20 new patents on the EFS technology and Rob stated that these patents are 'bulletproof.' Silicon film has reached letters of intent with at least three 'strategic partners' these are Japanese camera manufacturers and at least on film company. Due to confidentiality issues we were not told the names of these partners. Some names that showed up during the presentation and back at SF offices were Konica, Minolta, Nikon, Canon, Kodak and Olympus. The recent round of financing from Off-Road was a huge success. Those of us that went to SF headquarters for a tour even got to view the 45-minute video Off-Road showed to prospective investors.
February 29, 2000 Shareholder Meeting Notes by MKTADDICT - Part XI
Mr. Webber has coined the phase CLICKS & BRICKS to describe the business model for Silicon Film. The initial marketing will take place exclusively through the company website. From there the company is looking to establish branding or co-branding agreement with OEM's and others to do the heavy lifting from a marketing standpoint. Also, there is some thought to using a tag-line similar to 'Intel Inside' or 'Dolby Noise Reduction' to gain acceptance of SF as the technology inside a SLR Digital Camera. Revenues will not come from sales of E-Film alone. There will be revenue from the partnership with Picturevision along with other alliances. Silicon Film will offer full digital imaging solutions, and will be bundled with software from Adobe (adobe LE). Currently there are pre-production units involved in ongoing testing and launch is scheduled for 'sometime this summer.' That's about as specific as they wanted to be. Rob Webber was very candid and honest with all of us. He has devoted a tremendous amount of his time and energy to this project and I firmly believe in the management team's commitment to the eventual success of Silicon Film. Rob has already 'teed up' all of the appropriate press and media channels for launch date. It should be one heck of a ride from there. One other interesting tidbit of information was that Rob Webber indicated that for every 1% penetration of the existing SLR market it represented the sale of 110,000 E-Film units. The margins on the product are estimated to be between 40-60% at the anticipated price of $699. Do the math. Now that's a pretty picture!
4dnexus.com
The math:
Every 1% = 110,000 units
GR = Gross Sales
NI = Net Income of 20%
110,000 x $699 = $76.9M GS and $15.4M NI
110,000 x $599 = $65.9M GS and $13.2M NI
110,000 x $499 = $54.9M GS and $10.9M NI
110,000 x $399 = $43.9M GS and $ 8.9M NI
110,000 x $299 = $32.9M GS and $ 6.6M NI
110,000 x $199 = $21.9M GS and $ 4.4M NI
So, each 1% penetration holds the potential of generating between $21.9M and 76.9M in Gross Sales and between $4.4M and 15.4M in Net Income. The size of the initial Meltronix purchase order - $2.8M - implies an initial product run of about $7.5 to $15M at the $699 MSRP. IRSN is commited to an virtual integration manufacturing model where their value add is in system design and ASICs so it's conceivable that the next generation EFS products will incorporate CMOS sensors from the likes of Scitex as they match the EFS product line to more market segments starting with the prosumers. Incidentally, part of IRSN's EFS-1 market research includes an online survey at its website which has generated over 30,000 responses.
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