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(COMTEX) Kodak, SANYO Form Joint Venture
Kodak, SANYO Form Joint Venture
ROCHESTER, N.Y. & GIFU, Japan, Dec 4, 2001 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Eastman Kodak
Company and SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. announced the formation of a global joint
venture, the SK Display Corporation, to manufacture organic light emitting diode
(OLED) displays for consumer devices such as cameras, PDAs, and portable
entertainment machines.
Today's announcement represents the next step in the companies' joint
development of OLED technology: the manufacture and sale of active-matrix OLED
displays. Beginning with a pilot facility in early 2002 and graduating to a full
production facility in early 2003, the SK Display Corporation will offer the
world's first full-scale manufacturing facility dedicated to full-color,
active-matrix OLED displays.
The market for OLED displays, a key product line within Kodak's newly formed
Components Group, is expected to range from $900 million to $3.6 billion by
2005, according to Stanford Resources and DisplaySearch. Demand for these
displays is being driven by the growing consumer interest in hand-held
electronics and the superior performance of OLED over the liquid crystal
technology now in widespread use. OLEDs are brighter, thinner and more colorful
than LCDs, provide an unlimited viewing angle and consume less power.
"This joint venture with Sanyo is a classic example of how Kodak will leverage
its intellectual property to establish high-growth markets that represent
significant new business opportunities for the company," said Daniel A. Carp,
Kodak's chairman and chief executive officer. "By bringing to consumers the best
display technology available, we expect to generate $500 million in OLED display
sales by 2005."
Following are the key terms of the $350 million joint venture.
- Kodak will hold a 34% stake in the company and make available
its OLED manufacturing technology and an unmatched OLED patent
portfolio. Kodak will commit about $125 million in cash and
loan guarantees over the next two years.
- SANYO will hold a 66% stake and make available its leading
low-temperature polysilicon thin-film transfer (TFT)
technology and manufacturing capabilities. SANYO will commit
about $225 million in cash and loan guarantees.
- Manufacturing will be based at a new plant in Japan dedicated
to active-matrix OLED displays.
- Each company will market and sell the displays.
This joint venture is one more way Kodak is participating in the $225 billion
infoimaging industry, formed by the convergence of imaging and information
technology. With OLED displays, electronic devices will fulfill their promise to
provide consumers rich visual information and entertainment.
"Combining Kodak's and SANYO's technologies, intellectual property, and
manufacturing capabilities extends our formidable lead in meeting market demand
for active-matrix OLED displays," Carp said.
Satoshi Iue, chairman and chief executive officer of SANYO Electric Co, Ltd.
said, "The rapid development of digital technology and the growing demand for
video-enabled IT devices require a new type of display. By capitalizing on the
strengths of SANYO and Kodak in OLED development, we will solidify our position
as the leader in the market for OLED displays, which are superior for use in
next generation multimedia devices."
OLED displays consist of self-luminous pixels, which do not require the
power-consuming backlights used in LCDs. With its performance and design
advantages, OLED technology will enable a new gen
agreement under which Kodak and SANYO successfully developed the world's first
active-matrix full-color OLED displays: a 2.4-inch model in September 1999
followed by 5.5-inch displays in May 2000. This technology can also be extended
to produce large displays for personal computers and other devices as the market
develops.
Eastman Kodak Company and infoimaging
Eastman Kodak Company is the world's leader in helping people and businesses
take, share, store, and print pictures - traditional or digital. Kodak had sales
last year of nearly $14 billion across its photography, commercial, health,
entertainment and components businesses. The company's products include
professional and consumer digital cameras, laser imagers for radiologists,
photographic films for professionals and amateurs, digital services for
cinematographers, high-speed document scanners and aerial images. Kodak is a
leading participant in infoimaging, a $225 billion industry created by the
convergence of images and information technology. Infoimaging unites three
closely related imaging markets--devices, such as OLED displays, infrastructure,
and services / media--that enable people and businesses to more easily take and
share pictures as information, entertainment, or memories. For more information
on Kodak, consult www.kodak.com.
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd., is one of the global consumer electronics giants while
also leading the way in innovations that are expanding multimedia product
technologies. SANYO continues to advance business enterprise development,
supplying world-class electronic products such as LCD projectors, digital
cameras, and mobile phones to satisfy rapidly evolving markets. SANYO's
businesses cover a broad range of multimedia and information systems, home
appliances, commercial equipment, electronic devices, batteries, and other
products. SANYO's net sales in fiscal 2000, ended in March 31, 2001, amounted to
$19 billion. The SANYO group is truly an international organization, consisting
of approximately 156 affiliates, employing over 86,000 employees globally. For
further information, please visit SANYO's Web site at sanyo.co.jp
CONTACT: Kodak, Rochester
(Business/Financial Press)
Paul Allen, 716/724-5802
paul.allen@kodak.com
Gerard Meuchner, 716/724-4513
gerard.meuchner@kodak.com
or
(Trade Press)
Joe Runde, 716/477-5204
joseph.runde@kodak.com
or
SANYO, Tokyo
Derek Wentz, +81-3-3837-6206
Masaya Tomabechi, +81-3-3837-6234
Farmington Hills, MI (August 8, 2001) – Integral Vision, Inc. (Nasdaq/NMS-INVIC) today announced that it has received an order for a “SharpEye” inspection station from the Eastman Kodak Company to be used for the inspection of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays. Kodak is a major developer of OLED technology, holding numerous patents on OLED technology that are being licensed by a number of companies. Integral Vision’s “SharpEye” product provides online inspection and analysis of functional and cosmetic defects in the display to assure quality in the manufacturing process as well as verification of the final product.
"With our focus for the future on display inspection, we are very pleased to be working with Kodak, an industry leader in this emerging technology," said Charles J. Drake, CEO of Integral Vision, Inc. "Our corporate goal is to become the inspection solution provider of choice for all of the manufacturers of these devices."
OLED technology is based on thin organic films that emit light when stimulated with an electric charge. The emitted light can be individual colors of red, green or blue, or they can be combined to create full-color, high-resolution images. OLED displays provide a clear and distinct image viewable from a very wide (165-degree) angle and require relatively little power. Licensees of Kodak's OLED display technology include Pioneer Corporation; TDK Corporation; Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd.; eMagin Corporation; Rohm, Ltd.; Ritek Corporation; TECO Electric & Machinery Co., Ltd.; Opsys Limited; ULVAC; and Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., a Kodak joint-development partner.
Integral Vision has been inspecting displays since 1992 and is presently focusing its resources on the inspection of Small Flat Panel Displays (SFPD) up to 7" diagonal. Integral Vision provides lab and production systems capable of detecting and analyzing defects to a sub pixel level on even the highest resolution SFPD's.
B: Integral Vision Announces SharpEye Order From UNIAX Corporat
B: Integral Vision Announces SharpEye Order From UNIAX Corporation
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Jan. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Integral Vision,
Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: INVI) today announced that it has received an order
for a "SharpEye" inspection station from UNIAX Corporation, a division of
DuPont. The system value is over $200,000 and will be used for the inspection of
organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays. UNIAX Corporation and DuPont have
a number of partners worldwide and are committed to the implementation of the
OLED technology for displays. Integral Vision's "SharpEye" product provides on
time inspection and analysis of functional and cosmetic defects in the display
to assure quality in the manufacturing process as well as verification of the
final product.
"We are very pleased to be working with UNIAX-DuPont, a company that is making
significant investments into the OLED technology," said Charles J. Drake, CEO
and Chairman of Integral Vision, Inc. "This relationship with UNIAX-DuPont,
along with the Kodak order and installation of last fall, puts us in a position
with these companies and their worldwide partners to be the major supplier of
inspection for the OLED technology in the world."
OLED technology is based on thin organic films that emit light when stimulated
with an electric charge. The emitted light can be individual colors of red,
green or blue, or they can be combined to create full-color, high-resolution
images. OLED displays provide a clear and distinct image viewable from a very
wide (165-degree) angle and require relatively little power. |
