TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home

iRex’s Chinese alliance: R&D, market insights and more from KingSun

By David Rothman

Photo by Branko Collin: The iRex Technologies building.

In developing both e-reader devices and the Chinese market, iRex Technologies will be able to tap the expertise of Guangzhou KingSun Software. Here’s an overview of KingSun from an April 6 news release on the iRex site:

Maybe by coincidence, Guangzhou KingSun started developing e-book market also since 2001. As a distributor and sales company at the very beginning, KingSun has built up its own brand, hardware and software R&D capabilities. Moreover it has become a strong comprehensive enterprise with market research, marketing strategy design, product promotion, technical support, after sell maintenance and repair service. From the very beginning, Guangzhou KingSun mainly focuses on the development of the e-book industry and spent several years to educate and guide the market via public relations, mass media, and other resources to let consumers become familiar with and accept the concept of e-book. During this period, Guangzhou KingSun experienced market growth, whilst overcoming serious challenges from the market.

Except for odds and ends, such a background on iRex, well known to us at this point, I’ll reproduce the full news release. No translation needed! Thanks to Matthew, one of our thousands of editors, aka readers, I read past the Chinese beginning of the news release. Yes, sure enough, the second half is in English.

Press release
iRex Technologies BV and Guangzhou KingSun Software R&D Center Co. Ltd.

Guangzhou (April 6, 2006): After many years of development, the e-Reader industry is meeting a historic moment. In March 2006, iRex technologies BV has signed a cooperative agreement with Guangzhou KingSun Software R&D Center Co. Ltd., realizing the successful connection between the world most advanced e-Reader product and the great China market, setting a new milestone for the development of e-book industry.

An electronic reading device integrated with Internet and WiFi is meeting people’s strong demand for acquiring information at anytime and anywhere. The definition of e-Reader in the market is being transformed from simple saving and retrieving of book contents to system of information exchange, which information includes all kinds of digital books, newspapers, magazines, documents, music and MP3 etc. As an information terminal, portable e-reading device has become an important mark of e-book content industry development. An e-reading device with only simple function of storage and display does not satisfy the need of market development any more. Consumers are expecting products with more personalized design and higher standard on comfortable reading, content quality, the ease of obtaining content and man-machine interaction.

Looking over the current situation of China domestic e-book industry, the supply of e-book still lags far behind the huge demands, which supply consists of technologies, products, contents, services etc. In the development of e-book industry, many e-Reader producers have introduced various products to the market, however because of lacking of in-depth research and control for China domestic market, the products and services often do not satisfy the market demands, so that those products disappear very soon from market.

iRex technologies BV., a spin-off from Dutch Royal Philips Electronic, has engaged research and development of electronic paper and e-Reader device since 2001. In 2006, iRex has successfully developed a new generation e-reading device (iLiad) based on electrophoretic display (e-paper) with strong serviceability and foresightedness, which not only satisfies the strong market demand and supplies the ideal solution for information terminal, but also points the direction for future e-reading product development. iRex is transforming her advanced e-Reader concept to practical application with her iLiad product widely accepted by the market. This is the goal of the e-book industry development. To achieve this goal, quality products with advanced concepts should integrate with market needs via effective marketing approach and promotion. The right product can then be delivered to consumers smoothly.

Maybe by coincidence, Guangzhou KingSun started developing e-book market also since 2001. As a distributor and sales company at the very beginning, KingSun has built up its own brand, hardware and software R&D capabilities. Moreover it has become a strong comprehensive enterprise with market research, marketing strategy design, product promotion, technical support, after sell maintenance and repair service. From the very beginning, Guangzhou KingSun mainly focuses on the development of the e-book industry and spent several years to educate and guide the market via public relations, mass media, and other resources to let consumers become familiar with and accept the concept of e-book. During this period, Guangzhou KingSun experienced market growth, whilst overcoming serious challenges from the market.

An e-Reader is not an ordinary consumer product, so to deal with this kind of product, a deep understanding of this industry is essential. An enterprise introducing an e-Reader must be able to educate, develop and grow the market. Guangzhou KingSun knows the importance of innovation even when it is in an advantageous position. Within the China market it has built its strong brand Doctor-Easy and introduced e-book applications for professional markets such as police office, law, education, electricity, telecommunication and publishing sectors. By market exploration and development, Guangzhou KingSun has built up its own distribution channels, direct sale pattern and terminal sales network.

At times the market was not growing, Guangzhou KingSun put more efforts in research, invested in product technology upgrades, content development and market promotion, especially targeting several professional market sectors and preparing itself for the next sales cycle. Through its endeavors Doctor-Easy has become No.1 brand name in China domestic e-Reader market and it has already formed an extensive e-Reader sales network. The partnership between iRex technologies BV and Guangzhou KingSun will be a strong driving force for creating a jump-start development in China e-Reader industry in both e-Reader product and marketing. We expect this cooperation will bring high quality products and concepts to the Chinese market. Moreover, it will bring great advancement of the whole e-Reader industry and lead the e-Reader business to a brighter future.

About Guangzhou KingSun Software:

Guangzhou KingSun Software R&D Center Co. Ltd. was established in 2001 and is a strong comprehensive enterprise in developing e-Reading business. Her focus is on the development of the e-book industry in China and it spent several years to educate and guide the market via public relations, mass media, and other resources to let consumers become familiar with and accept the concept of e-book….