One may wonder what makes a company keep the lead amid global economic slowdown and financial maelstrom. But for Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and its Saudi partner United Matbouli Group, it is just a matter of putting one shoulder to the wheel, so to speak. At the launch of Samsung's LED-flat panel television on Sunday at the Hilton Hotel Jeddah, the South Korean electronics company and its long-time exclusive distributor in Saudi Arabia said that the economic turmoil, which sent many a company reeling, did not impact on its sales performance. On the contrary, Samsung maintains its “number one” position in the flat panel television, having witnessed a tremendous growth in sales not just in the Kingdom, but globally. And at a time when people are more concerned about their energy consumption as well as environment protection, the debut of Samsung's LED (light-emitting diode) high-definition TVs is a welcome relief. LED presents many advantages over traditional light sources including lower energy consumption, longer lifetime, improved robustness, smaller size and faster switching. Samsung's LED HDTVs reduce energy consumption by 40 percent against traditional LCD HDTVs of similar size. The LED HDTVs also include an optimized energy savings mode that adjusts the backlight and picture quality while continuing to produce smoother, more natural images. The new technological breakthrough is a new testament to Samsung's global leadership. Gye Choon Cho, general manager, Samsung Electronics KSA, said that Samsung recorded a 38 percent increase in sales in flat panel TVs in the Kingdom alone last year, or above 100, 000 units. Globally, Samsung's sales in the category surged 21.9 percent in 2008 against 17.8 percent in the preceding year and from 14.6 percent in 2006. Adnan Matbouli, president & CEO, United Matbouli Group (UMG), said that despite economic uncertainty, their sales “keep growing” on account of consumers' satisfaction both in the quality of product and services they offer. Mansour Addas, marketing manager, UMG, added that their strategy is to “stay focused” on one segment of the industry and “excel on it”, rather that diversifying but losing the much-needed and anticipated quality in the process. The debut of LED HDTVs, which become the flagship of flat panel TVs, bring to 30 HDTV models Samsung has put on the market. At the presentation of the new models, Omar Siddiqui, senior AV product manager, Samsung Electronics KSA, said the “new lineup of high-definition LED TVs represents the current pinnacle of technological leadership, fusing highly advanced technology and features with an artful, ultra slim design in an intelligent package that also reflects Samsung's profound concern for environmental sustainability.” Samsung's LED TVs, at barely an inch thick, are the “slimmest” flat panel TVs in the world and designed to be hanged “like an ordinary picture frame.” “Cutting out the CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent lamp) backlighting enabled Samsung to create TVs that are exceptionally slim while maintaining the highest standards consumers have come to expect from Samsung for outstanding picture quality,” he added. The new technology was a result of a strong emphasis Samsung placed on its research and development with the aim of providing consumers with the state-of-the-art product. Gye said that Samsung allocates 5-6 percent of its annual turnover to research, noting that in the last two years alone, Samsung appropriated $6.2 billion for research spending. Siddiqui added that $1 billion was earmarked for LED-chip development that paved the way for LED HDTVs. Samsung's general manager in the Kingdom stressed that a substantial amount goes to its research and development regardless of the economic downturn, because customers' satisfaction is the ultimate goal of Samsung. “We cannot compromise their interest,” he added. With the introduction of its new 2009 lineup of LCD flat panel TVs, Samsung seeks to continue the company's tradition of industry-leading LCD technology and design excellence, while also stepping into uncharted territory with new features and advanced picture solutions. In addition to their great looks and the rich image quality they produce, the LED TVs are a multimedia device, which offers a host of functions, like internet, browsing videos, sharing photos and interacting with friends. On top of these, LED TVs are equipped with DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance), a wireless connection workable within a radius of 500 meters, in which digital content such as photos, music, and videos can be shared through various consumer electronics. Under normal use, LED TV panel has a life span of 30 years, Siddiqui pointed out. Samsung's LED HDTVs come in three series, namely 6000, 7000 and 8000, with list retail price ranging from SR8,979 to SR19, 379. The much-awaited LED series will hit the local market sometime next week, according to one dealer. Against this backdrop, industry analysts project a 15 percent sales growth in Samsung's flat-panel TVs in the Kingdom and a 50 percent market share in the Middle East - considering the region's growing reputation as a hub for consumer electronics industry. Samsung will also increase production of its conventional TVs to fill the gap created when another company ceased producing the model due to pricing. And as demand increases amid heightened interest in so-called eco-friendly products, Samsung, with its dedicated and fully-funded research division, may yet unveil another innovation in flat panel TV. It may not be far-fetched. Organic light-emitting diode televisions (OLED TVs) are even thinner and produce really bright saturated colors. __
