Wacom Co., Limited held its 30th anniversary celebration party on July 12, 2013 at the Grand Hyatt Tokyo in Roppongi, Tokyo, inviting partners from around the world, across a wide range of industries.
Wacom’s President & CEO, Masahiko Yamada, commented, “We love what creativity brings to the world and are proud to have played a significant role in the revolution in creative industries over the last 30 years.”
He continued: “Over these 30 years, we have watched as technology has transformed our lives and made it possible for more people to realise their own creative potential. Today, as we celebrate our history and renew our commitment to inspire and equip people to make the world a more creative place, we invite all customers, partners and the world in general to continue this journey with us, for a creative world.”
“Wacom continues to work with the world’s most creative people, both professional and enthusiast. We also believe that creativity exists in each and every one of us and that every idea is precious, whether it is small or potentially life-changing, personal or shared for the world. Creating, sharing, developing and finally bringing ideas to life brings joy and puts a smile on the face of the world. We want to contribute to the world by supporting a lifecycle of ideas.”
“As mobile and cloud platforms grow, the whole planet can now be considered one studio. We will continue to provide the most advanced tools and solutions for creative professionals to take advantage of this new mobile environment”, Yamada added. He went on to show video footage of two strategic mobile products currently under development, which will open new horizons for creative professionals across the globe.
Masahiko Yamada was followed by guest speakers - Paul Flowers, SVP Design, Grohe AG and D.J. Koh, EVP, Samsung Electronics.
Paul Flowers, SVP Design, Grohe AG
Paul Flowers, a product designer with wide ranging experience in various industries and companies, stressed that he could design in a variety of environments because his process is very focused on people. His in-house design team is used as “a funnel for creativity across the entire company”. He underlined Yamada’s stance that creativity comes from everyone. “We use creativity in our company to make consumer ideas, needs and desires into products in a relevant way”, he explained. Wacom tablets are the tools of choice to really help the professional creative through that journey of discovery and “which enable us to communicate our visions in a manner which people can understand and be inspired by”. Design is there to guide the user experience and to create an emotional connection, good design is initially attractive and “overtime you move from liking a product to loving a product”, just like in a personal relationship, between human beings. Design, like creativity, he explained, is a journey, and a journey of love.
D.J. Koh, EVP, Samsung Electronics
D. J. Koh said the collaboration between Samsung, the leader in the mobile market, and Wacom, the leader of digital pen technology, was realised thanks to the passion and creativity of both companies when they determined “Let’s create something completely new.” This strategic collaboration led to the Galaxy Note, introducing a new category, “and gave us the accolade of market creators,” he said. The essential and innovative concept of “using a digital pen to directly write something on a mobile device and share the content” has changed people’s lives. The Galaxy Note series has given a wider freedom of expression to people, “and thanks to this, it has been receiving positive feedback from experts in movies and artists alike. (…) As a Japanese saying goes ‘Water and fish belong together,’ we believe both companies can draw on this solid relationship to keep delivering more creative and innovative products to the market.”
About Wacom
Wacom Europe GmbH is a subsidiary of Wacom Company, Ltd. (Tokyo Stock Exchange 6727). Founded in 1983, Wacom is a global company based in Japan with subsidiaries and affiliate offices around the world to support marketing and distribution in over 150 countries. Wacom′s vision to bring people and technology closer together through natural interface technologies has made it the world′s leading manufacturer of pen tablets, interactive pen displays, and digital interface solutions. The advanced technology of Wacom′s intuitive input devices has been used to create some of the most exciting digital art, films, special effects, fashion and designs around the world and provides business and home users with their leading interface technology to express their personality. Millions of customers are using its cordless, battery-free, pressure-sensitive pen technology.
The company also offers its products as OEM solutions to leading manufacturers serving incremental markets. Wacom′s interface technology, called Wacom Feel IT Technologies, is also offered as an integrated solution to strategic partners. Most Tablet PC manufacturers count on the advanced features and reliability of the brand to deliver a superior user interface experience.