John,
Let's face it. Kodak is a great brand as far as film goes, but it just
doesn't have as much clout as competitors like Nikon, Canon or Olympus
when it comes to hardware. I suspect Kodak has some interesting
digital technology which they intend to cross-license with Olympus
as mentioned in the piece you found, however consumer appeal is
more of an intangible that you simply can't cross-license. I have been
very impressed with Olympus' digital cameras. To be honest, the
only reason I have not purchased an Olympus has been because I have
a significant CompactFlash investment and don't feel like hopping over
to another standard, especially one that does not profit SanDisk.
That is to say, I view SmartMedia as a loss leader for us and if you
listen to the c.c.'s you see that SmartMedia's revenues are downplayed
probably due to the low margins and the fact that it remains a
competing standard for CF and MMC.
In any case, back to the original topic, Kodak. I don't see how
technology cross-licensing will increase Kodak's appeal. The Kodak
digicams are solid and perform well, but remain heavy, boxy and, as it
would appear, unappealing compared to some of the Japanese cameras.
I wonder if Olympus sees some future in acquiring Kodak technology?
Maybe Kodak-Olympus will be the next merger along the lines of the other
cross-cultural meldings like Daimler-Chrysler.
On second thought, I think the phonetic translation of Kodak means
"monkey butt" in Japanese. Olympus' management will probably need
to think this over once or twice before making any decision.
Aus |
