The Professional Systems business consists of the communications segment and the business solutions segment. The former engages in Land Mobile Radio and systems, licensefree transceivers, amateur radio sets and sales of cellular phones. The latter handles infrastructure system solutions, including security cameras and systems and professional audio equipment and facilities, and business solutions, such as professional video cameras and monitors.
The communications segment boasts the world’s second largest market share in the current mainstay area of land mobile radio equipment. It has achieved this by combining radio technologies, which have been cultivated over many years since the era of amateur radio equipment, with cutting-edge digital and network technologies. This segment features a high overseas sales ratio and high profitability. And it supplies highly reliable professional radio terminals and systems for the public safety sector (police and fire departments), the public service sector (electricity, water and gas), and the private sector (railways, buses, hotels and plants) around the world. This segment is focusing on the market shift from analog equipment to digital equipment. Hence, it is driving ahead with the development and sale of digital land mobile radio equipment and systems compatible with the digital radio formats of various regions around the world.
The business solutions segment provides highly reliable professional-use video and audio equipment in such markets as electrical facilities, education and public, private corporations and amusement facilities. It does this as a business that shares advanced imaging pickup, video and acoustic technologies with the Home & Mobile Electronics business. Its security cameras boast a high market share in the domestic markets of electrical and amusement facilities. Meanwhile, its professional video cameras, which have been adopted by a major U.S. news broadcasting station, are increasing their presence, mainly overseas. We have continued to improve the management base by reducing expenses and fixed costs thanks to the effects of structural reforms implemented by the fiscal year ended March 2011.
We recognize the shift to digital models and systematization of land mobile radio equipment is a business opportunity. Therefore, from now on the communications segment will focus on globally developing network systems. It will do so by making the most of JVCKENWOOD’s proprietary digital professional radio NEXEDGE®, and expansion of network solutions by leveraging the console systems of Zetron, Inc., a U.S. subsidiary engaged in radio communications systems. The business solutions segment will strive to expand business for infrastructure system solutions, including network security systems, wall-mounted emergency broadcast equipment and digital wireless intercom systems. It will also aim to expand media system solutions, such as high-spec video cameras for broadcasting, professional standard video cameras, professional 3D cameras and 3D content production monitors.
In addition, we will endeavor to develop new solutions that provide safety and security by integrating radio and security systems. At the same time, we will concentrate on initiatives to expand existing business domains. And we will enter new domains such as stand-alone disaster prevention systems, in which radio, image pickup and video technologies are combined, 3D-related systems, such as 3D image processors that convert 2D images into 3D images and 3D projectors as well as ultra-high-resolution image systems, including 4K2K video cameras and 4K2K projectors.
