Las Vegas
Panasonic sees the internet of Things as a major area of opportunity to grow its enterprise and business-oriented solutions groups, said a top official.
“Our news today to a large extent will not be about consumer electronics products per se but more about the technologies and solutions we are creating that will impact the consumer experience,” said Joe Taylor, Panasonic North America Chairman and CEO.
Starting with automotive, he said that the 2017 Acura NSX supercar, that is developed and manufactured in the US, will feature its ELS Studio Premium audio system created by Grammy Award-winning producer/engineer Elliot Scheiner.
He highlighted the Panasonic OneConnect content delivery platform which was developed to provide auto manufacturers with a direct communication channel to customers. OneConnect enables drivers to receive important, relevant information when they need it.
Panasonic has teamed up with Lincoln on the new 2017 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid to equip it with lithium-ion battery technology.
The company is focusing on the B2B segment as it contributes 75 per cent to the group’s total revenues.
The company is interested in merger and acquisition deals and has set aside one trillion yen for strategic investment till 2018, out of which half will be for M&A deals.
The company’s target is to achieve 10 trillion yen in 2019 and this fiscal year the company expects eight trillion yen.
Panasonic spent the bulk of the time highlighting a number of key partnerships and initiatives driving its efforts in the smart-home and smart-city arenas.
Its new Ora software aims to let homeowners control the likely growing number of smart gadgets and appliances in their home with a single device. Panasonic also quickly ran through a list of new cameras, camcorders, TVs and other gadgets it plans to make available to consumers in 2016.
A key announcement from the show was a partnership between Panasonic and the city of Denver, which will use Panasonic smart technology to help improve energy efficiency, water conservation, public safety, health care and other public-service areas.
“At Panasonic, our approach is never about developing technology for technology’s sake, but instead about how we can enable technology to improve the quality of people’s lives,” Taylor said.
Julie Bauer, president of Panasonic Consumer Electronics, said that the age of the true smart home is upon us.
“Ora can integrate every endpoint in the home living experience you can operate on a smart device from anywhere in the world.”
On the consumer side, it announced a 4K UHD Blu-ray player, which will debut later this year and 4K TV got a little more love from Panasonic as it unveiled its next-generation 4K OLED 65-inch TV and a compact Lumix camera, which includes include a Post Focus feature allowing you to set the focal point of a photo you already snapped. It also unveiled its two new 12.5-inch Toughpad Windows tablets, 4K camcorders and 4K cameras.
Considering studios such as Warner Bros and Sony developing discs that support 4K playback and HDR, Panasonic is getting in on the hardware side.
The Japanese company also touted the return of its Technics direct-drive HiFi turntable — Grand Class SL-1200G limited edition- to bolster its line-up of more lucrative products for consumers.
“Our turntable has been developed for audiophiles looking to rediscover and experience the uniquely warm sound quality of analogue vinyl discs,” Bauer said.
She said that the Grand Class G30 turntable will be available late in 2016 and the limited edition turntable is expected to debut this summer with 1,200 units globally.