Samsung is a leading force in the home appliance initiative towards technology development. From washing machines that can be operated by a smartphone app, and refrigerators that can play music from a built in tablet screen, to appliances that run during optimal energy efficient hours, the Korean manufacturer recently released a refrigerator that provokes the question ‘Why didn’t someone think of this sooner?’ Allow me to introduce the newest four-door French door model featuring SodaStream technology.

Samsung’s RF31FMESBSR, features an integrated carbonated water dispenser that will deliver filtered sparkling water from the same mechanism on the refrigerator door that produces still water and ice. SodaStream is known mainly for producing home devices for carbonating beverages, which it markets as a way to save space and money on store-bought soda, as well as providing a more eco-friendly solution.

For the RF31FMESBSR four-door refrigerator, the manufacturer incorporated similar technology using 60L CO2 cylinders that sit in a concealed compartment inside the left refrigerator door. Users are able to select up to three levels of carbonation for sparkling water from the same control panel used to select water and/or ice.

SodaStream estimates the cost of its sparkling water at approximately $0.25 per liter.
In addition to the first-ever sparkling water dispenser within a refrigerator, the 30.5 cu. ft. model is also equipped with high-efficiency LED lights and an ice maker that can produce up to 10 lbs. of ice per day.

Similar models within the Samsung four-door assortment retail at approximately $3,199 without the SodaStream option. With that, the premium for the SodaStream technology is quite high and will likely only appeal to high-end shoppers. The stand-alone SodaStream device, sold at retailers such as Bed Bath & Beyond, retails for between $99 and $199 depending on options.

Although Samsung and LG are paving the road towards the ultimate connected home, it is anticipated that all manufacturers will follow suit as our lifestyles continue to evolve and as demand for these types of luxury appliances grows.

As is often the case with new technology, premiums remain high with feature rich products. While the SodaStream technology is brand-new to the refrigerator segment, one day this high-end option may be standard in all home refrigerators. The introduction of this new capability is sure to lead to further creativity and innovation throughout the home appliance segment.

The post What Can Your Refrigerator Do for You? appeared first on gap Intelligence.

The days are getting longer, the flowers are starting to bloom, and the people of gap intelligence are hard at work putting together a new round of presentations to share with our friends and family.

That’s right.  gapCon is back, hitting Liberty Station on Friday June 7th!

The third annual gapCon promises to serve up the same “Educate, Learn, Share” awesomeness that the event was founded upon, while bringing a bunch of new and equally awesome things.

Venue

For starters, we’re getting out of the office, moving gapCon All THE WAY down the street to the Barracks 17 Event Center on 2710 Historic Decatur Rd (Directions).  That’s almost the other side of Liberty Station!  As much as we love our office, Barracks 17 is a fantastic facility, and we’re very excited about this move.

Schedule

12pm – Reception: food, drinks, schmoozing
12:45pm – Keynote: Lisa Gordon-Hosch, City of San Diego Small Business Ambassador
1:15pm – gap intelligence Management Team Presentation
1:35pm – Analyst Team Presentation
1:55pm – Analyst Presentation: Deirdre Kennedy, Televisions

Break!

2:30pm – Development Team Presentation
2:50pm – Analyst Presentation: Adam Gajo, Inkjet Printing
3:10pm – Culture Panel

Break!

3:55pm – Analyst Presentation: Christine Boersing, Home Appliances
4:15pm – SysOps Team Presentation
4:35pm – Product Launch: Chris Barnes, gap new Price & Promotions Report
4:55pm  – Gary Peterson’s Closing Remarks

5PM – Club gap intelligence: food, drinks, schmoozing

Keynote

gapCon 2013 will kickoff with a keynote speech from the City of San Diego’s Small Business Ambassador, Lisa Gordon-Hosch.  It’s safe to say gap intelligence and Lisa Gordon-Hosch have shared interests and were thrilled to have her as our keynote.

Analyst Presentations

gapCon started in part as a venue for gap’s newest analysts to get some presentation reps, and once again we have a fresh group of analysts ready to drop knowledge on the gapCon 2013 audience.

• Sole gapCon veteran and the creator of gap’s Television service, Deirdre Kennedy, will explore the second screen evolution, the emergence of social TV, and their impact on the TV market
• Market Analyst Adam Gajo will give his take on emergence of PageWide inkjet printers and their possibly disruptive influence on the office imaging industry
• Appliances Analyst Christine Boersing will walk us through the Future of the Connected Home, tying each of her three categories into the technology evolution taking place within our homes.

Team Presentations

We have enough meetings here at gap intelligence to know that there is no “I” in team.  With that, in addition to putting our newest analysts at the podium for individual market presentations, gapCon 2013 will include a series of team presentations from each of our business groups.

Ever wanted to know what gap’s Analyst, SysOps, Developer, and OG teams had to say?  Then July 7th is your lucky day!

gap intelligence Dev Team

Culture Panel

Each year we open up gapCon to our friends in the San Diego business community, previously hosting teams from HP and Sony to discuss business, technology, and how they use data, among other things.  Given the fact that we at gap spend each day analyzing businesses and technologies and each week we produce a more than our share of data, this made a lot of sense.

This year, we’re taking our gapCon panel in a slightly different direction, shifting our focus exclusively on company culture and inviting multiple companies to discuss the role of culture and culture building in their companies.  The panel will include executives from Vavi, Red Door Interactive, and a third surprise guest, with moderation provided by gap intelligence’s own cultural icon, Tom Young.

Come on Down!

To all the friends of gap, we’d love to have you join us for gapCon 2013.  Just send us a note and we’ll get you on the list.

Beers are on us!

The post gapCon is in the Air appeared first on gap Intelligence.

“The addition of MPS support and copier-based products to our tool allows our clients to support any device type and sales scenario,” said Gary Peterson, president of gap intelligence. “We can empower sales organizations to optimize these IT hardware systems’ benefits on their customers’ workplace productivity and communicate those positive impacts on their bottom line.”

gapTCO clients can expect improved competitive positioning to customers, ongoing cost optimization throughout the MPS engagement, and reduced time to evaluate profitability of their MPS proposals.

In addition to the user-friendly aspects of the previous platform, the gapTCO system provides additional functions such as a responsive design and product photos for substantiation. Other system features include:

• Accurate data updated weekly and verified by a third party
• Full device, consumable, and service contracts database backed by gap intelligence research services
• Proposal generation with custom pricing to fit any custom sales solution
• Analysis of a device’s environmental impact

“These new capabilities provide our clients with the technical aptitude needed to be leaders in a very complex and constantly changing MPS industry,” said Chris Barnes, vice president of gap intelligence. “Our goal is to create the very best way for users to articulate competitive positioning and value to their customers.”

To find out more about gapTCO offered by gap intelligence, please call 619-574-1100 or visithttp://gapintelligence.com/gap-tco

ABOUT GAP INTELLIGENCE
San Diego-based gap intelligence is a values-led corporation that works with manufacturers, resellers and industry players within the information technology, consumer electronics, and home appliance industries to bring them up to the minute market intelligence. For more information, visit gap intelligence athttp://www.gapintelligence.com

The post gap intelligence Upgrades Total Cost of Ownership Tool to Include Managed Print Services (MPS) Assessments appeared first on gap Intelligence.

Before we go on to set the stage for how the clash between HP’s Officejet Pro X series and laser printers could potentially shift each technology’s market share, let’s keep in mind that the laser printer is still the champ, and for a good reason. With laser printers, there is trust within the business world that has relied on laser technology for years including: laser’s historically faster print speeds, text quality/sharpness versus inkjets, the ability for laser units to be managed in large fleets, and its perceived durability advantage. Not to mention, there is a huge market for low cost non-OEM toners, offering discounts to those willing to risk print quality, and high margins for B2B VARs. Laser printers have built up a well-established channel, including many resellers that are very selective in regards to the products and technologies they carry. Considering laser’s perceived and real advantages, HP’s new PageWide Officejet Pro X series has significant challenges to overcome in order to effectively make an impact on this market. And it won’t be done overnight.

One major step in overcoming PageWide’s channel challenges came last month when HP’s Officejet Pro X476dw reached Staples locations for $699. The new PageWide inkjet printer entered Staples with an entourage of marketing support including a video-equipped end cap display, in-store demonstrations, and the usual ‘Twice the speed and half the cost of color lasers’ message. The Staples placement is one example of HP leveraging the Officejet Pro line’s legacy to gradually move PageWide technology into mainstream channels.

The Officejet Pro X’s specs prove that the message at Staples isn’t all marketing fluff. The thing can print! Compared to the current laser competition that the Officejet Pro X476dw faces at Staples, its advantages are impressive. The Officejet Pro X476dw leads in key categories including: BW and Color print speeds, energy consumption, first print out times, standard paper capacity, and color print resolution (see below).

Clearly, the specs speak for themselves. But there is another compelling factor that SMBs will notice, and that is the Pro X’s relatively low acquisition and ink replacement costs. The bottom line savings that the Officejet Pro X476dw offers versus the competing lasers at Staples, using gap intelligence’s gapTCO tool, is up to $5,488 over a 5 year life-span. Based on an average monthly print volume of 1,500 pages (750 CLR @ 20% coverage, 750 BW @ 5%) and use of high-yield ink tanks, HP’s Officejet Pro X476dw’s total cost of ownership is $4,388, followed by Brother’s MFC-9970Cdw at $6,417, HP’s LaserJet Pro 300 Color MFP M375nw at $9,470, and Canon’s imageCLASS MF8380Cdw at $9,876.

Although the savings offered by the Officejet Pro X476dw is notable, and certainly helps to validate the vendor’s ‘half the cost of color laser’ claim, the question for business users and resellers remains whether the still unproven PageWide inkjet technology will be durable and reliable enough to withstand the high volume needs of business environments over many years.

Just like a real boxing match, the numbers don’t tell the whole story, as there are certain immeasurable factors that play into the battle that don’t show up on paper (or a specs sheet). What the laser printers have going for them is its strong chin in the form of ‘laser-bias’, among resellers in particular. The question is, will laser printers be able to withstand the hit the Officejet Pro X dishes out now that it is widely available in the channel and backed by HP’s marketing clout, as well as its attractive cost and specification advantages? Or will the challenger’s powerful and compelling value proposition be too much for SMBs to pass up.

As we are in the early rounds of the Officejet Pro X’s bout with laser printers, the battle will likely go on for many years. With any new disruptive technology, HP’s PageWide inkjets need repeated generations of competitive, high quality products to eventually win over established customers (draws in boxing usually favor the champion). Not to mention, laser manufacturers will not just hand over the SMB market without a fight, and will likely respond to HP’s PageWide technology with similar inkjet lines of their own, and the continued evolution of their laser systems. That said, nothing can take away from the fact that HP is heading in the right direction, and the vendor’s unprecedented PageWide technology has everyone watching on the edge of their seats. I’m a big fan of underdogs, and it’s ‘thrilling’ that HP is the underdog for once in the printer world.

The post HP Officejet Pro X Set to Battle Office Laser Printers appeared first on gap Intelligence.

The Team

It’s an idea that’s been thrown around the office for a while, and after months of talking about it, we’re now competing in a Vavi Kickball league under the name gapUniversity Fighting Hedgehogs.  A bunch of us are very excited about it, and the 3 games we’ve played thus far have been a blast.  Kickball basically has the same rules as baseball, except we only play 7 innings and with 10 players on the field.  Other than that, the rules are very similar.

There are some more interesting differences between baseball and kickball, though (aside from the fact that you’re kicking a 20mph big red ball instead of trying to hit a 95mph fastball).  For one, when the ball is kicked, it travels far differently from a baseball.  Trajectories are completely different, and tracking a fly ball can be very difficult.  Other than learning the fielding/defensive side of the game, some teams have pitchers who have mastered several different pitches, including curveballs, screwballs, changeups, and a unique high-bouncing ball that looks like it’s going to stay high, only to drop really low on the third bounce, much like a sinker in baseball.  On the offensive side, some players have learned to kick any type of pitch in any direction they like, making them quite the dangerous kicker.  As a few games have gone by, we’ve come across a few of these players/teams.

Our first game (Let’s call it a learning experience), we lost 5-2 to a very good team.  Down 5-0 in the 7^th inning, we showed some promise by scoring 2 runs on a string of good kicks by the Fighting Hedgehogs, but couldn’t rally.  In the following game, we won with a score of 7-4.  Though the score was not indicative our sheer domination, we were clearly the better team with nearly error-free fielding, some great kicks, and smart base-running.  In our most recent game, we lost a 1-0 heartbreaker from a walk-off homer to an undefeated team.  Their team had mastered some of the finer points of the game, such as bunting, directional kicking, and a pitcher with more than just the old number 1.

Got Heem

We’ve started to settle into our natural fielding positions and everyone’s getting reacquainted with the old elementary school sport of kickball.  Our next game is May 9^th under the lights, and the team is ready to get back on the winning track.

Also, for anyone who just happened to read my blog from last summer, I’d like to reiterate that I am NOT a competitive eater… though I did hear about a $30-or-free burrito challenge in Clairemont that I am very interested in.

The post An Elementary School Recess Sport turned Competitive appeared first on gap Intelligence.

The total number of available dual and value packs has demonstrated growth of at least 50% per year since gap intelligence began tracking the channel. In all of 2012, nine products entered the channel and so far in 2013, there have already been four.

With such impressive growth, specific factors must be driving the demand for such products. The most likely reasons include increased demand from consumers, as well as a rise in the use of ecommerce to purchase products. Starting with consumers, greater purchases of value pack products could reflect a change in the mindset of Brazilian shoppers. The purpose of a value pack is to give consumers a bulk discount compared to purchasing the included products individually. Shoppers have to pay slightly more up-front, but the final savings is usually justified through lower long-term cost and overall cost per page. Other benefits of a value pack can include a reduction in the number of purchases, though this mostly applies to dual packs where the consumer would receive multiple units of the same cartridge. Because Brazilians are known for having more price-conscious mentalities, increased acceptance of higher-priced products would be a notable change.

The increase in the number of value packs online could also be fueled by a spike in the number of consumers using the internet to make these types of purchases, leading OEMs to focus on expanding their presence in a variety of channels. Additionally, with the government’s push to expand broadband Internet access through the Programa Nacional de Banda Larga (PNBL) to those that do not yet have it, more Brazilians are gaining access to the internet, and as a result, shifting some of their purchases to this channel. However, because Brazil’s weak infrastructure makes transportation of goods difficult, the IT channel is likely to remain less-frequently used than physical locations, at least for now**.

Despite these obstacles, online purchases in Brazil are rising. The market volume of Brazilian ecommerce grew by 20% annually to $22.5 billion in 2012, according to Brazilian firms e-bit and Buscapé. According to the companies, the average ticket increased from R$338 ($170.39) in the first half of 2012 to R$346 ($174.42) in the second half of the year, attributable to promotional activities and greater sales of higher value-added products, such as smartphones, tablets, and notebooks, in the second half of the year.

One of the most notable examples supporting a shift in the Brazilian market is the arrival of a new Samsung dual pack in Brazil in IT channels roughly two months before the US. A new product debuting in Brazil prior to the US is quite rare, unless it is designed for that market, largely due to challenges with importing, taxes, and infrastructure. The fact that a higher-priced product was first pushed into a market where consumers have traditionally placed greater emphasis on price could demonstrate that there is actually a higher demand for these types of products, and that OEMs are looking to better support that demand.

*For all-inclusive purposes, any mention of “value pack” also includes dual packs
**It should be noted that physical storefronts remain the most popular shopping destinations in Brazil. In-store, consumers can find a much wider variety of extremely low-priced bottle refill options, so it is unlikely that a greater presence of dual pack products online (regardless of the discount) will be enough to completely transform consumer shopping habits, but at the very least could reflect a shift in the mindset of consumers.

The post An E“value”ation of Value Pack Offerings in Brazil appeared first on gap Intelligence.

As with all ENF events, the Homebrew Fundraiser for Richard Runs California was a ton of fun and a huge success.  Dave and Jessica McKean created several special homebrews to commemorate Richard’s run: “700 Miles IPA”, “4 Pairs of Shoes IPA” and “Run Richard Run IPA”.  Well over 100 guests attended the event to see Richard off and wish him well.  It was smiles all around.  Something so incredible had to be toasted after all!

Richard’s passion for running began after he made a promise to Emilio that he would run the Boston Marathon.  Emilio was undergoing a bone marrow transplant in Boston and they watched the runners race by his window.  Richard kept his promise and hasn’t stopped running since.

ENF hopes to generate awareness and funds to keep the many programs that ENF provides humming along.  ENF hopes to raise $75,000 through Richard’s run to support low income families whose children are battling cancer.  To learn more about how you can support Richard Runs California and to track ENF’s fundraising progress follow the link below:

http://www.stayclassy.org/events/richard-runs-california-to-help-kids-cancer/e22919

gap will be eagerly welcoming Richard back to San Diego at the finish line at Rady Children’s Hospital on June 1^st.

We want to wish you the best of luck, Richard!  We will be cheering you on for all 700 miles!

The post Richard Runs California appeared first on gap Intelligence.

#gapproblems

You attend a gapU picnic but you’re a redhead and get sunburned because you forgot to put sunscreen on.

Beer Friday rolls around and all the home brews already got drank.

5 minutes late to snack attack and Jake has already eaten all the good stuff.

You want to put something in the fridge and its a terrible game of Jenga.

You try to grab a couple paper towels but end up with 50 because the dispenser is broken.

You lost your shoes somewhere in the office and can’t find them, and they are perfectly broken in Rainbows!

You want to ride the beach cruisers, but someone else is already on them.

The water cooler is empty and you are sooooooooooooooo thirsty.

It’s not windy enough to fly a kite.

The bathroom sink counters are always wet.

The front door won’t stop clicking.

The line at Tender Greens is 10 miles long and all you want is a delicious Albacore hot plate.

You go to Con Pane on Wednesday, and they’re closed.

You need to stop by Trader Joes to grab a quick snack and the High Tech High School kids are on their lunch break.

Starbucks is out of your favorite bold roast.

The ping pong room is occupied.

So even though it seems like everything is great all the time, gappers have problems too.

The post #gapproblems appeared first on gap Intelligence.

In the past, retailers happily filled their shelves with a wide-array of ultra-compact digital camera models with the goal of providing slim and easy to use photo-taking options for everyone.  Camera manufacturers themselves could historically count on huge sales numbers from this type of camera because people needed to capture pictures, and what better way than something that was small and non-threatening.  An ultra-compact camera was the primary way that most people, regardless if they were passionate about photography or not, would snap photos, and camera purchases came largely from necessity rather than excitement.  It is these very shoppers that are now reaching to their smartphones rather than their digital cameras, and the ultra-compact segment is suffering the most, but interestingly compact is growing.

Realizing that stocking their shelves full of ultra-compact models is not as exciting as it used to be, retailers are now actively adding more compact cameras, and showing a preference toward showcasing attractive features, over the risk of presenting their larger form factor to shoppers.  This year, the compact segment surpassed ultra-compact cameras’ placements in retail, reversing the latter segment’s historical dominance in the channel.  Ever since the first digital cameras hit the market, major strides have been made to make them smaller as to be pocket-friendly.  With many now using smartphones to handle snapshots, cameras again are getting larger, although this time it is to house impressive features that cannot yet be found within the form factor of a phone.

Compact Superzoom

Enter zoom.  The telephoto reach of dedicated digital cameras cannot yet be matched by smartphones, and is therefore a very attractive value for shoppers.  Compact cameras now boast impressive zoom reaches up to 24x, and within bodies that are little more than an inch thick.  When compared to professional DSLRs, the leaders of the compact segment provide a reach as powerful as a 600mm telephoto lens, making them extremely versatile solutions for families and even the most avid world travelers.  Retailers recognize zoom’s importance, and since April 2011, the retail placements of cameras with 10x or greater lenses increased from 113 to 179, representing a 58% gain.  Today, close to 40% of Best Buy’s current fixed-lens camera assortment contain zoom lenses stronger than 10x, which is not even as impressive as Walmart’s 45%, or Target 48%.  The benefits of having a strong zooming compact camera has earned them a place alongside smartphones within our pockets, and even the most novice consumers can easily enjoy the added picture possibilities.  While attractive zoom is one way that dedicated cameras are positioned to maintain casual shoppers’ interest, those who fall into a more advanced rung of the photography market are being courted by a different style of compact.

Enthusiast Compact

Cue the rise of the enthusiast compact segment.  With smartphones present to handle the basic snapshotting, enthusiast compacts target the more advanced consumer with a desire for performance and who is left underwhelmed by the capabilities of converged devices.  The characteristics of an enthusiast compact center around a rich variety of manual control, and contain elements such as bright aperture optics, large-format image sensors, and retro-inspired appearances.  Within this past year, Sony broke new ground by outfitting its $2,799 Cyber-shot RX1 with a full-frame image sensor and Nikon introduced the market to its first DX-format (APS-C) fixed lens camera, the $1,099 CoolPix A that arrived to Best Buy this March as the chain’s most expensive compact camera ever offered.  While this style of camera is inherently niche in nature, an awareness of the format is rising.  Interestingly, smartphones may be to blame, with filters and a la cart effects that often serve as an introduction to artistic photography for many youth.

Since April 2011, placements of enthusiast compacts climbed from 15 to 29 within gap intelligence’s retail panel, for a dramatic growth of 93%.  Many of these cameras carry large price tags and come from product lines that have experienced sparse historical availability in the channel do to their advanced nature.  Increasingly eager for new ways to make sales, retailers are using freed-up shelf space from basic ultra-compacts to stock enthusiast-targeted cameras.

However, this is not always a success for everyone.  Walmart, ever the reactionary retailer, wanted to test its luck in selling enthusiast cameras, and stocked its shelf last Spring with Nikon’s $499 CoolPix P7100 as its first attempt.  Nine months later, that camera dramatically fell to just $149 as the retailer eventually realized that it was just taking up space and not popular among its shoppers.  Why would it be?  Walmart’s fact tag called attention to unattractive elements such as the model’s 10-megapixel image sensor (although oversized and performance-rich) and 7.1x zoom (although equipped with f2.8 aperture), when shoppers could easily see a 16-megapixel stronger-zooming model only inches away, and for much less money.

Conclusion

Shoppers didn’t get it, they were not ready.  Time is needed, and just like with megapixels, education is key.  While it is safe to assume that the average consumer today now knows the relationship between megapixel and output size, not the quality of the picture, how many years did this take?  A similar level of patience is needed to translate the features of enthusiast compacts, which on paper, challenge many shoppers to find a justification for cost.  Although Walmart perhaps failed at providing its shoppers reason to buy its first enthusiast offering, other chains are actively testing the waters of compact camera diversification, and it is this experimentation that is aiding the growth of the compact segment.

The post Compact Cameras’ Time to Shine appeared first on gap Intelligence.

This month, gap-University rolled out a brand-new program designed to flex our brain muscles while having a healthy office competition.  Without further ado, I am pleased to introduce Battle of the Books!

Rules & Regulations

• The goal is to read as many books in the gapU library in one quarter as possible.
• At the end of each quarter, whoever has read the most books will be awarded a top-secret prize.
• Herbie is counting on everybody to follow the honor system! gapU reserves the right to administer pop quizzes at any time to test the knowledge retention of the readers.
• Each time a gapper finishes a book, they can head over to Dean Dahukey’s office to claim a prize out of the treasure chest (hint: prizes become bigger and better the more you read!).
• After each book completion, gappers will head over to the gapU library and tape their picture/avatar/name so that everybody knows who has read what.

A sample of the books that can be found in the gapU library are Jim Collins’ Good to Great, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, and It’s Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For  by Roy Spence.  Since we love to share information, gappers are encouraged to recommend additional books to inspire our fellow colleagues and to continue the growth of our library.  In fact, our Dev team was kind enough to create their own Battle of the Books wall and have provided a sampling of their top reads.

The reading and learning has begun! Check back throughout the quarter to see who wins the big prize and if you have any recommendations for your favorite reads, please send them over!

The post Battle of the Books! appeared first on gap Intelligence.