Content area
Full text
Manufacturers on both sides of the PC-TV equation will have to be wary of tunnel vision and break from traditional business modes if they hope to create a new category called convergence.
Companies that once considered themselves aligned with distinct industries are realizing--albeit painfully---the need for common standards that capitalize on the strengths of consumer electronics (CE) and PC platforms.
"The single most important factor in the success of a new product category is the establishment of a common architectural platform or standard," said Joseph Clayton, executive vice president, Thomson Consumer Electronics.
"There is no doubt in my mind that the market and our dealer participants will accommodate both industries if we can first determine what the consumer truly wants and then position the product accordingly," he said.
But bridge building may be only temporary.
While Thomson hopes to work with the PC industry to come up with common standards, the company clearly wants to remain top dog in the family room. Nor is Microsoft Corp. willing to give up its lock on the OS market to Thomson, Sony Corp. or any other...