Getting to know BenQ

Not too many Filipinos have heard about the brand "BenQ." A few many have seen or used a BenQ MP3 player or even a BenQ notebook PC or LCD monitor, but these products are barely the tip of the iceberg when viewed together with the rest of BenQ’s stunning diverse product portfolio.

For this reason, BenQ executives visited the country recently to give first-hand details about the company, its products and what they have in store for the Philippines.

From their simple yet impres-sive PowerPoint presen-tation, we learned that BenQ is an industry leader in networked digital lifestyle devices with an expertise that encompasses the display, storage, imaging, wireless and broadband areas.

BenQ has manufacturing plants in Malaysia, Mexico, China and Taiwan. It has over 14,422 emplo-yees worldwide, supporting a global sales marketing and service network spanning the Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Americas.

BenQ has research and development facilities in Taiwan (Hsinchu Lab), China (Suzhou Development Center) and Califor-nia, USA (Wireless Technology Center), and has more than 2,000 R&D employees in Suzhou, Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu and San Diego.

BenQ has amassed 2,073 global patents and its 2004 revenue exceeded $5 billion.

As one of the new leaders of industrial design in Asia and a recipient of 86 international awards, BenQ goes beyond external design to build brand desirability and accentuate product value. BenQ’s product philosophy of "Designing Enjoyment" combines external design with innovative techno-logies all centered around the user.

A deep commitment to desig-ning enjoyment is guiding BenQ’s business strategy and powering growth in 2005, according to Danny Yao, mana-ging director for ASEAN of BenQ Asia-Pacific Corp. and whom we spoke with during the one-on-one interviews.

The result of this commitment is a growing product line of unprecedented breadth and depth that is winning customers across the region and advancing the company toward its goal of $10 billion in revenue by 2008.

"The idea of designing enjoyment influences everything we do and all the choices we make as a company," said Yao. "As a philosophy, it guides our develop-ment of new technologies, our choice of product features and functions and our product design. It is as much about what is inside our products as what is outside."

"Enjoyment has always been at the core of BenQ’s philosophy. Enjoyment centers around people, which is why when we talk about BenQ’s Designing Enjoyment product design philosophy, you’ll be comforted to know that it’s centered around you. Our designers use a holistic approach to product design, taking cues from thousands of hours of user feedback and delivering products that create both a rational and emotional experience. Our product designers know that in the fickle world of fast-changing technology and standards, sometimes the user experience gets shadowed by less impor-tant things. At BenQ, our users are our designers," Yao added.

The success of BenQ’s approach is reflected in increasing market shares and sales of its products ranging from Joybook multimedia notebook computers to Joybee MP3 players, to mobile phones and popular, industry-leading lines of scanners, LCD projectors and flat-screen monitors.

It is also validated by a growing list of accolades, including 10 2005 iF Design Awards recognizing the company’s creativity in product design. BenQ’s creativity has earned it global recognition in just three years.

"Designing enjoyment means enabling people to experience the digital lifestyle to its fullest extent. To achieve that, we rely on a unique combination of technology innovation, leading-edge design and superb execution at all levels," said Yao.

BenQ’s sophisticated R&D is putting the technical muscle behind its design strength. Today, eight R&D centers around the region contribute to the development of 10 product lines featuring over 420 products.

Technologies such as the innovative Senseye for image enhancement displays and powerful, integrated smartphone software demonstrate how BenQ’s commitment to designing enjoyment extends to all aspects of performance and functionality.

This approach has made a strong impression on the industry and media, with publications such as Business Week and The Economist recognizing the company’s success.

In the Philippines, selected BenQ products are presently carried by four local distributors, but the company is looking for more to fast-track the entry of its other product lines to this market.

The breaking news at the time of the interviews was BenQ’s acquisition of the mobile phone division of Siemens, although officials said it was too early to speculate on the effects of this development on the near- and medium-term branding and distribution of Siemens phones, both locally and globally.