Philips' Addition and Subtraction

Reviewing Philips' development trajectory over the past few years, one can clearly outline its "addition and subtraction" strategy. In 2005, it was again TPV that acquired Philips' monitor division; in 2006, Philips sold 80.1% of its semiconductor division for 8.3 billion euros; in 2007, China Electronics Corporation Holdings Limited took over Philips' mobile phone business in full; at the end of March this year, Philips also cleared out its stake in TCL Corporation, cashing in 680 million yuan.

Home appliance expert Lu Renbo stated that Philips TVs' biggest advantage previously lay in CRT televisions. With the upgrading and transformation of the color TV industry, Philips has been constrained by Japanese and Korean companies that own upstream LCD panel manufacturing. Industry analysts have suggested that Philips has sold off many consumer electronics brands and is accelerating its withdrawal from the consumer electronics sector. Currently, in the Chinese market, Philips has shed the burden of its mobile phone, monitor, and TV businesses through "brand licensing" arrangements.

The advent of the flat-panel TV era and the arrival of the 3G communications era have caused Philips, a consumer electronics giant with a long history, to struggle to keep pace. From 2006 onward, Philips' TV business began to suffer losses. Korean companies such as Samsung and LG, as well as Japanese giants like Sony, have transformed themselves more quickly. Korean companies in particular have established their position in the global consumer electronics industry through sustained price competition, technological upgrades, and vertical integration across the entire industry chain.

　　这一局面与飞利浦的内部转型也息息相关。近年来飞利浦确立了要将主要业务向医疗电子和照明等利润更为丰厚的领域延伸的战略，而在消费电子领域则开始了减法。长达10年的转型之路上，飞利浦正在不断弱化竞争相当激烈的消费电子业务。2008年1月1日，飞利浦在全球范围内将产品线整合为医疗、照明及优质生活三大业务群。当时，飞利浦将原有的“消费电子”（主要负责电视业务）与“家用小电器及个人护理”两大部门合并，正式成立了全新的优质生活事业部。

　　“的确，我们在10年前就提出了转型。”飞利浦中国有关人士向华西都市报记者表示，目前飞利浦专注于医疗保健、照明以及优质生活三大领域。其中“优质生活”领域包括了很多大家电和小家电，如家庭音响等。因此，虽然飞利浦此前剥离了一些业务，但其从来没有表示将退出电子消费领域。

　　按照飞利浦发布的未来愿景，其将继续扩大在核心业务领域的领导地位——家庭医疗保健、LED照明解决方案、健康生活和个人护理等。到2015年，飞利浦将投入20亿欧元用于绿色创新，以加速公司三大事业部可持续的业务发展。

　　飞利浦中国投资公司有关人士表示，“在CRT时代，飞利浦也曾在彩电领域取得辉煌，但在公司内部，与收益颇丰的医疗、照明等业务相比，利润微薄的消费电子业务早就成为飞利浦眼中的鸡肋。”

　　转型之后，如何校准航向，重上高空？转型过后，能否有新气象还有待时间来验证。飞利浦的此番加法和减法，无疑将是行业内一个值得持续关注的个案。