The internet era is posing a great threat to traditional enterprises, leaving them fending off mounting competition as they attempt to retain existing markets and expand new ones. Many businesses are having to find their own paths, embracing and leveraging information technology, to stay in the game.
Lenovo plans to establish an internet-related smart device company next year against the backdrop of slumping global PC shipments. Traditional home appliance makers like Hisense, and Gree are also entering partnerships with internet companies to work with, rather than against, this trend.
Chinese video surveillance product and solution provider Hikvision Digital Technology last year launched Ezviz, an internet smart video surveillance brand for household and small- and medium-sized enterprises. Like those other companies mentioned, Ezviz has launched partnerships with a series of internet companies, such as Alibaba Cloud, Tencent, Baidu Cloud, Sina Weibo, LeTV and JD, to facilitate technical support and sharing of data.
The brand released today its latest product: S1, a Go Pro-like pocket camera which enables users to capture and share their most precious and exciting moments. S1 measures just 4.5×5.8cm, making it smaller than a credit card, and weighs just 70g. The gadget supports 1200p HD, 170-degree wide angle video footage, HDMI access, and has 68GB of memory. The 1480aAh battery can handle 2.5 hours of continuous usage, and it’s waterproof up to 30 meters.
Unlike Go Pro, which focuses on extreme game hobbyists and outdoor nomads, S1 goes after the mass market with its fashionable design (in five different colors) as well as integration of social and location-based social video sharing features. VIDIT, a similar product developed by a Chinese team, is also going for this market.
Hikvision Ezviz has yet to disclose the price of this product, but an executive has mentioned that since S1 is eyeing the mass market, its price will be “quite affordable”. Ezviz gave four options for S1’s price range in a questionnaire distributed to press conference attendees (RMB500-800, RMB800-1,500, RMB1,500-2,500, RMB 2,500+), asking at which price range people would be willing to pay for the gadget.
Users can add extended 4G modules, battery modules or LCD display to the camera if they want. Ezviz has also developed a set of accessories that go with the camera, including a remote controller, selfie stick and a vehicle-mounting base.
Other products debuted at the event are C2 mini, a smart monitor measuring 50×50×25mm and priced at RMB199, an upgraded app which connects all Ezviz hardware and communities, and Ezvzi Cloud 3.0.
C2 Mini
Editing by Mike Cormack (@bucketoftongues)