• Join over 1.2 million students every month
  • Accelerate your learning by 29%
  • Unlimited access from just £6.99 per month

Agfa Responding positively to a changing environment

Extracts from this document...

Introduction

Agfa Responding positively to a changing environment Introduction When a new technology comes along that is capable of improving dramatically the products of a whole industry, every firm in that industry has vital strategic decisions to make. It must ask itself: � How far and how quickly should we amend or abandon our present products? � How far and how quickly should we embrace the new technology? � Are we big enough and capable enough to accomplish all the essential changes on our own? � How can we come out of this time of change stronger than we went in? Once taken, these key decisions have to be implemented. Technological change > Strategic decisions > Strategic implementation All this makes for exciting times within the industry, for producers and also for consumers, who also have some adjusting to do. Imaging is one of the world's growth markets and new technology is making its mark; imaging has 'gone digital'. It is not a complete transformation. Analogue imaging has not been abandoned and still has millions of satisfied consumers. However, the industry will move on. ...read more.

Middle

Digital technology is transforming newspaper production. For example, sports photographers no longer have to dash back to the office to develop prints, wondering anxiously what they have captured. They know immediately the quality of the image they have and they can despatch it immediately too. As a result, the publisher soon has on sale a comprehensive local Saturday night 'sports special' carrying action photos of spectacular moments that occurred hundreds of miles away just a short time earlier. The new technology is also transforming photography for the general public. For example, crystal clear photos of a baby can now be available to proud, anxious grandparents thousands of miles away within a few minutes of an infant's birth. Analogue images Technological advance does have a downside, in that demand for new products affects sales of older ones. As a market, analogue photography has almost reached maturity. It is still significant in size with almost 70% of the market. However, with plenty of scope for further product developments and for repeat business. The growth of digital technology has not deterred Agfa and its competitors from bringing out new, improved products for use with 'old' technology. ...read more.

Conclusion

It is leading. It is also listening and learning. In a highly competitive industry, Agfa's thorough approach is enabling it to retain important competitive advantages over its closest and fiercest rivals. Questions 1 Describe what has happened in recent years to the market for imaging. 2 Provide two examples of images that you come across daily. Briefly describe the sort of technologies that you think are associated with each image. 3 Describe the difference between analogue and digital technologies. 4 Discuss the circumstances and reasons why analogue might be better suited than digital for client needs in certain situations. 5 How might Agfa appraise the value of its investment in digital technology? Glossary Competitive advantages: Qualities that give a business distinguishing characteristics that set it advantageously apart from its main competitors. Euros: European common currency unit, introduced as part of the process of European Monetary Union. ISDN: Integrated services digital network: high speed digital telephone lines. Investment: Putting funds to use in the hope of securing returns later. Pixel: A dot on the computer screen that forms part of the whole display or image. Resolution: A measurement of the number of component dots per inch or millimetre that comprise an image. ...read more.

The above preview is unformatted text

This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our AS and A Level Design and Technology section.

Found what you're looking for?

  • Start learning 29% faster today
  • 150,000+ documents available
  • Just £6.99 a month

or


Not the one? Search for your essay title...
  • Join over 1.2 million students every month
  • Accelerate your learning by 29%
  • Unlimited access from just £6.99 per month

See related essaysSee related essays

Related AS and A Level Design and Technology essays

  1. Influence of technological change in Ford.

    Studies of the impact of IT on organisation point to very little job displacement in manufacturing caused by innovation in the production process (Campbell, 1993). Job losses from structural change have much more impact across all occupations than losses from technological change.

  2. How do graphic designers give images meaning and how is symbolism achieved?

    The Nike "Swoosh" is a design created in 1971 by Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland State University. She met Phil Knight while he was teaching accounting classes and she started doing some freelance work for his company, Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS).

  1. Bedside table development evaluation

    As it being flat-packed, biscuit joints, knock down fitting will be used as these are easy assembly joints, to set up a product at hoe buy an average everyday person. > Suitable for batch manufacture, as the joining methods that will be used will be relatively simple and easy to manufacture for example dowels joints.

  2. Were developing a shoe removal detector which identifies and notifies a person entering the ...

    This is one of the most important parts for the device. This infrared device will sense the human passing that if the infrared breaks then it sends signal to the alarm that human has just passed. As this step is very important, we should spend more time on this stage so the infrared send correct signal without any errors.

  1. Introduction to construction. Identify & describe the key factors that influence construction projects related ...

    Reducing pollution, the construction industry is responsible for a third of all industry-related pollution incidents. Controlling consumption, the construction industry accounts for 10% of the national energy consumption - the production of energy produces greenhouse gases, so the less energy we use, the less we need to produce - reducing greenhouse gases.

  2. Light & artificial lighting systems

    Nearly every commercial building is a potential energy saving project, where the electric lighting systems can be designed to be dimmed with the availability of daylight. Artificial lighting consumes more electric energy than any other building end-use, accounting for a third of all electricity consumed for commercial use.

  1. Security Management

    cases consume a large amount of computer processing power and causing the entire computer to become unstable. There are many ways in which a hacker can cause a denial of service on an instant messenger client. Furthermore, they are used to combine with other attacks, such as the hijacking of

  2. Electronics AS project

    are a 1 (high), a single output is produced that also also becomes 1. This then goes on to the next part of the circuit. When any one of the outputs of the two sensors is a 0 (low), the output of the AND gate is also a 0.

  • Over 160,000 pieces
    of student written work
  • Annotated by
    experienced teachers
  • Ideas and feedback to
    improve your own work