Page 26 - Sphere No.13 (Dec 2004)

engineers. But
we also see great
potential to add value
by creating our own brand.
We have registered various trade
names and tested the market. Our research
shows that the i.Tech name is well received. If we can
successfully get our brand
recognised in the market,
we can grow faster.”
Tsang concedes that it is no
easy matter to establish a new
brand in a competitive mar-
ketplace. For a start, it can be
extremely expensive to raise consumer awareness.
“But what if we have an excellent product and no other
company wants to participate?” he asks. “Either we must
abandon it, or we manufacture and market it ourselves. If the
big brands are not interested we can still produce the product
and sell it.”
To some degree, the strategy is a bit like walking
a tightrope. “On the one hand, you do not want to
marginalise existing customers; on the other hand,
you have the ability to commercialise innovative
products that are high value added,” says Tsang.
“We will consider both scenarios.”
Gadget Wizardry
Given its strong links with HWL and the Group’s burgeon-
ing interests in telecommunications, it was natural for
i.Tech to focus on technology relevant to the telecoms
industry. It therefore positioned itself as a “turnkey mobile
companion solutions partner” deploying technologies such
as Bluetooth to produce devices such as wire-free headsets
for major handset manufacturers.
From the outset, i.Tech realised that it had to position
itself as a specialist,” notes Tsang. “Most customers want
to work with a specialist
company. No company can
be a genius at everything.
We wanted to participate in
a few selected categories
that we think have high
growth potential.”
Beyond manufacturing gadgets for the telecommunications
sector, i.Tech has identified other specific areas where it
believes there are good commercial prospects.
“We think digital audio broadcast (DAB) will be
a star performer of the future,” Tsang reveals. “Europe, the
UK, China, Korea and Canada all plan to replace analogue
broadcasting technology with digital in the next few years.
North America will also make the switch, using slightly
different technology. A year ago, we started looking at
DAB. We have developed a new line of audiovisual products
using the technology and we will launch our first two
A turnkey mobile
companion solutions partner
C O V E R S T O R Y
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