Thom Hogan
Forum Pro
Yes, it was.
I haven't commented much on the latest developments, but can't resist ;
That was the perfect headline, actually. Despite all the spins (from both sides), nothing really seems to have changed. I'd say the clear imperative for both sides is simple: describe what the future looks like in 5-10 years and why that's better than the other side's alternative. Neither Hoya nor Pentax seems to have much public to say about what the goals are, how they'll get there, and why their alternative is better. From Hoya's side, this leads to the perception that all they want is some more bulk in the medical and glass businesses (the sub-text meaning that lots of Pentax' current businesses would be vulnerable to discontinuation long-term). From Pentax's side, the perception is that they're drinking too much of their own short-term elixir and not seeing the long-term realities very clearly.
IMHO, neither side has presented a clear picture of what the business is, why it is important, what they'll do to further shore it up, how they see the competitive picture unfolding, and how the return on investment is going to improve. For both the short AND long term.
To some degree, that expansion both helped and hurt Pentax. But short of details as to what the lessons were, this is just politico-talk.
Oops! Not doing so annoys customers. As I've already noted before, Pentax component customers are all re-evaluating whether to continue buy from Pentax. The problem is that you can't tell your customer "oh, we'll keep that business going" without that getting back to your employees.
I'll repeat: Pentax is in a crisis at the moment. The way to deal with a crisis is to get in front of it, be open and revealing, not try to hide anything, and act swiftly and decisively. The longer you put off the inevitable, the worse things will actually be. Watanuki's words actually seem to reveal to me that there haven't been any decisions made.
That's not what the clients say ;
Unfortunately, not all of that was from sales of products to customers...
That's the problem. In lieu of a clear, well-defined and well-articulated plan, the Hoya deal is as good as anything.
Actually, I think that's a bit harsh. DSLR sales can continue to increase, I think, though it will get more and more difficult. Indeed, if the future doesn't clear up quickly, dealers will simply vote with their dollars, tending to short-order Pentax equipment "just in case" so they don't get stuck with it on inventory shelves. But with the right decisions and clarity at the corporate level, Pentax DSLR business should be okay. More problematic is the digicam business, though. There doesn't seem to be good news there, at all, under any scenario currently put out by anyone involved in the takeover.
I haven't. They're still in crisis. No one has stepped up to indicate how they'll get out of it.
--
Thom Hogan
editor, Nikon DSLR Report
author, Complete Guides: D50, D70s, D80, D100, D200, D1 series, D2 series
http://www.bythom.com
