The sun rises, and it’s a new day.
Yike's New York conference room was brightly lit, and executives from Europe and the United States gathered together to report to Mr. Fang, who was inspecting the company's business conditions.
As the music player track becomes more and more dynamic, Yike's overseas markets are becoming more and more important compared to the Chinese market that is gradually struggling.
Sony's once-best-selling Walkman has become an old thing in the eyes of consumers. Fresher, more fashionable, and more convenient music players have become the first choice due to the increase in file transfer speed and the expansion of memory capacity.
Last year, Yike's full-year sales of all products were 3.48 million units, accounting for 58% of the global market. Sales in the U.S. market were nearly 3 million units, accounting for slightly higher than 60% of the global market.
The US market is undoubtedly the top priority of Yike's market strategy, but Europe is also expected to become a new strong growth point.
However, as one of the two major players on this track, although Yike has superior sales, its profit lags behind Apple. This is related to the competitive strategy it has always adopted.
Summarizing the calculations and evaluations of the European and American markets, this year, the global market sales are expected to exceed 25 million units, and the US market is expected to exceed 22 million units.
Comparing the annual sales of 1.2 million units in the US market in 2003, in just three years, the sales growth is expected to exceed 20 times...
What’s even more amazing is that we haven’t seen the end of this wave of market growth yet, and music players can still bring a lot of room for imagination.
Fang Zhuo listened to everyone's reports and optimistic market analysis, and made the most important adjustment of this meeting, promoting Pan Ben, one of the former vice presidents of the European market, to senior vice president, who will be mainly responsible for the business development of the European market in the next two years.
The original European market was jointly developed by Pan Ben and Qi He. The latter was the first batch of employees to come to the United States. This time, he was promoted half a level. However, considering the business boost that the integration of markets in different European countries can bring, Pan Ben The European department led by Ben was given higher authority.
In the past, Vice President Yu Hong was in charge of Yike's overseas markets. Both Pan Ben and Qi He came under her on their resumes. Since she is a marketer herself, she understands the complexity of different regions and the need to make improvised decisions. , has always been delegating power to the European market.
This time, the European sector is substantially and nominally freer.
At the end of the meeting, Fang Zhuo, President of Yike Company, looked forward to the future.
"We want to make iMu privately more convenient, and we want to more proactively present our hardware series to consumers around the world."
"We cannot be satisfied with the current status of our products and must do our best to provide everyone with higher quality music enjoyment. This is Yike's mission of continuous progress."
"I believe this year will be a good year for Yike and everyone."
The executive meeting ends.
Fang Zhuo retained the company’s content director Edward, who is responsible for contacting and cooperating with record companies. Yike hopes that with the rapid growth of the number of users this year, he will be able to conduct more beneficial cooperation with record companies other than those that have already reached cooperation. contact with each other.
This is not an easy task, but it is not impossible either.
In the first half of this year, the performance of the recording industry was even more sluggish, and although its profits were not as good as Apple's, Yike had more users. The two parties and even the three parties needed further negotiations to explore the space for cooperation.
After Edward left, Fang Zhuo returned to the office with the documents. Passing by Xiao Yu's office, he saw the two vice presidents Pan Ben and Qi He reporting on their work, while Yu Hong listened to the situation in the European market with a smile.
Although the sales volume in Europe is far less than that in the United States, its work is more complicated and it still requires support from the American department.
When Pan Ben and Qi He saw Mr. Fang coming in, they both stood up to pay their respects.
Pan Ben and Mr. Fang were more familiar with each other. They were friends since they were snowed in New York City together. They talked and behaved more closely. He took out a cigarette and handed it to the president.
Fang Zhuo waved his hand and said simply: "Quit."
"Mr. Fang, I heard you say this two years ago, how about you quit smoking after smoking this?" Pan Ben said with a smile. He himself is an old smoker and knows the habits of the same species.
"I really quit." Fang Zhuo also smiled, "I won't lie to you."
Pan Ben was stunned and took back the cigarette case.
The next second, he took out a box of cigars: "Mr. Fang, I know that you smoke cigars when you don't smoke."
Fang Zhuo laughed: "I quit too."
Pan Ben took out a cigar: "Mr. Fang, I..."
Yu Hong suddenly interrupted impatiently: "He said he should quit, and if he quits, he should quit. What is there to advise? Can smoking prolong life or what?"
Pan Ben saw Mr. Yu getting angry and took back the cigar in a sullen voice.
"Mr. Yu is right. Even though Mr. Pan has been promoted, we should still listen to Mr. Yu's correct opinions," Fang Zhuo said.
Qi He, who was silent next to him, observed that Mr. Yu rolled his eyes at Mr. Fang, and was suddenly shocked. He sensed the sinister atmosphere of internal competition in listed companies, and held his breath even more.
Pan Ben took out his cigarettes and cigars and expressed his stance: "Then I'll quit too?"
"Okay, stop pretending." Yu Hong said angrily, "The European market cannot achieve its goals this year, and Fang Zhuo cannot protect you!"
Qi He heard that Mr. Yu had begun calling him by his first name.
He felt the biting cold wind blowing. Of course, Mr. Fang undoubtedly had control of the company, but Mr. Yu had been in control of the market for so long, so he didn't have any leverage. Could it be that what the media said was true?
"Hey, Mr. Qi, hey, Qi He, what are you thinking about?" Fang Zhuo noticed Qi He's distraction, called his name, and said, "Did you hear it? Qi He, Pan Ben, the European market is not up to standard this year, I I can’t protect you either.”
Both Qi He and Pan Ben quickly expressed their confidence in the growth of the European market this year.
Fang Zhuo chatted for a few more words, thinking that his schedule was tight, so he could only squeeze out lunch time to listen to the situation in Europe.
In addition, because Qi He often works in Germany, there is an additional thing that needs his attention.
Infineon, a semiconductor company that became independent from Siemens in 1999, released its quarterly financial report this month, showing that its memory division's revenue fell by 19% year-on-year.
At the same time, Infineon released a reorganization plan. In addition to the reorganization of the communications department and the automotive electronics department, it will also reorganize the memory department.
There is relatively reliable news in the industry that Infineon will spin off its memory department, establish a subsidiary, and seek an independent listing.
"Mr. Fang, do you need me to contact Infineon after I return to Berlin?" Qi He valued what Mr. Fang explained.
"That's okay. Infineon appointed Luo Jianhua to take over the memory department. He is in New York. I have made an appointment with him to chat tomorrow," Fang Zhuo said.
Although Infineon's memory division has suffered a lot of losses, it is still one of the major suppliers of memory products in the world.
Fang Zhuo believes that its independence must be the beginning of a big move. It will look for funds from the stock market, and then actively participate in competition in the memory field. After all, Samsung and Japanese manufacturers have invested heavily.
Considering that the market business might be discussed, Yu Hong attended the lunch. When she heard Mr. Fang's words, she had some doubts about the oriental name.
Fortunately, Pan Ben, who was also confused, asked directly.
"Luo Jianhua? Is this name Chinese?"
Fang Zhuo nodded: "He is a Malaysian Chinese. He previously served as the president of Infineon's Asia-Pacific region. This time he takes on a new position. If nothing unexpected happens, he will probably become the president of the subsidiary."
"Bingxin has basically reached an agreement with institutional shareholders and will conduct a second round of financing."
"The establishment of a subsidiary by Infineon cannot be sorted out in a short while. It just so happened that Lao Xiong and the others were in New York, so we went to meet people together. It was a friendly and sincere contact."
Judging from his perspective, the memory field must have experienced a wave of purges in 2008, but the changes in Infineon are also a good entry point. Luo Jianhua has a good relationship with the mainland and Baodao.
Last year, he became a visiting professor at Xi'an University of Electronic Science and Technology and established a scholarship of the same name. During his tenure, he established a production base in Wuxi and also established a joint venture with Nanke in Baodao.
It was precisely because of the appearance of such a person that Fang Zhuo believed that Bingxin could discuss memory OEM cooperation.
Since Infineon has divested its memory subsidiary, it must hope to make more achievements in this field. It is the first manufacturer in the world to invest in 12-inch wafers, and Ice Core can provide OEMs for 12-inch wafers.
For example, SMIC obtains memory production technology through OEM cooperation with major manufacturers, which can be regarded as a mutually beneficial model.
Pan Ben and Qi He heard their boss talk about their semiconductor development plans, but neither of them could give much response. First, they really didn't understand, and secondly...
Compared with the booming Yike and the several times sales growth that can be expected, Ice Core seems bulky and inconspicuous.
They all have a similar feeling. If Mr. Fang focuses his energy on Yike, the company will surely develop faster.
Yes, Yike is a listed company, but it is still far from a first-class company.
However, even though they don't understand each other that well, due to the difference in status between them, they will not raise any objections.
The atmosphere at lunch was a little cold.
Fang Zhuoneng could see the interest of the two European market executives, shrugged, and said nothing more. The semiconductor field was indeed not a hot spot, but more of a boring accumulation.
Reflecting on the commercial level, it is far less dazzling than Yike.
Yu Hong glanced at Fang Zhuo and talked about the future focus of Yike's new project, mobile phones.
She cited two imaginary rivals in the mobile phone market, Nokia and Samsung. It is worth mentioning that both of them have large-scale semiconductor departments. Needless to say, the latter is dazzling. The former also has 400 people in chip development.
department.
"Mobile phones are a very mature market with a stable global supply chain. It is easy to find out who uses whose parts, and it is not difficult to use the same parts or substitutes."
"But apart from these, the uniqueness accumulated by mobile phone manufacturers is often the reason why they can continue to develop."
"Adaptable semiconductor design is obviously an important one."
"I really hope that Mr. Fang's ice core can bring different competitiveness to Yike's mobile phones."
Yu Hong said lightly.
Pan Ben and Qi He both nodded thoughtfully.
Upon seeing this, Fang Zhuo casually chatted about another example in the mobile phone market, Sony, which also has its own semiconductor department and also has a C-touch S sensor to be discussed in cooperation with Bingxin.
“I don’t know what Ice Core will be able to do in the future, but Yike has Mr. Yu, Pan Ben and Mr. Qi. I believe it won’t be much worse. I also hope that one day, Ice Core can be used as our own product.
Provide core competitiveness.”
Fang Zhuo ended the lunch with such a small outlook.
The two European executives have a meeting in the afternoon, and Yu Hong also has official business to deal with.
Originally, Fang Zhuo's afternoon arrangement was to meet Lao Xiong and the others at the company to further solidify his intention, but considering some personal factors, he changed the location and directly booked it in the hotel's conference room.
Pan Ben and Qi He left first, leaving space for the two leaders to communicate.
"Finalize the financing intention, meet with Infineon's executives, and go to the Sun Valley Summit with Stringer. This is what I promised him before."
"Then, I went back to China."
"The domestic market momentum of Yike is average. This is an inevitable development brought about by different environments. Fortunately, we have all anticipated it. I hope that its functional transformation can inject new impetus into Yike."
"Domestic e-commerce also needs me to be more at the helm. Its online and offline competition is quite fierce."
Fang Zhuo explained the arrangements and plans one by one.
Yu Hong walked beside and listened silently.
The two of them walked downstairs of the company.
Fang Zhuo looked up at the floor, then looked at Xiao Yu again: "If you want to be in Yike, stay in Yike. If you want to go back to China, go back to China. Don't be trapped by Fang Zhuo's words and tricks."
"I want to change my business card." Yu Hong said something insignificant.
Fang Zhuo asked: "Huh?"
"Change to co-founder of Yike." Yu Hong said seriously, "Also, your president's office will no longer be retained. It belongs to me. When I want to leave Yike, I will naturally decide by myself."
"Okay, Mr. Yu, I..." Fang Zhuo shook his head slightly, "Does it depend on the above or on the middle?"
"I like the sense of competition that Yike can provide me, and I also like the development that I can bring to it, that's all." Yu Hong said plainly.
Fang Zhuo nodded and saw his car being driven out by the driver: "Understood, Mr. Yu, I'm going to see Lao Xiong and the others. If you need anything, call anytime."
Yu Hong ignored him. After Fang Zhuo got in the car and watched the car leave, she said softly: "Go away, you bastard."
She is the co-founder of Yike and will still practice the slogan she originally proposed.
MakingProgress.
…
Goldman Sachs, IDG, DCM, Deutsche Bank, four institutions followed Mr. Fang's move from Houston to New York and basically reached an agreement on the second round of financing for Bingxin.
If nothing unexpected happens, it will basically be worth US$100 million.
The gambling agreement from the first round is still continued.
In addition, Fang Zhuo, the major shareholder, will also invest the same amount. Considering that the ice core is officially mass-produced and has the ability to form blood circulation, this financing will support its development for a considerable period of time.
There was a half-day meeting in the afternoon, and Fang Zhuo also agreed to the final plan after several discussions.
In the evening, there was a small celebration banquet with expectations for the future. After the banquet, Xiong Xiaoge went to see Mr. Fang and found that he was strangely unhappy.
"Why, Mr. Fang, do you think the money is too little? You think the money is too little? Tell me, I'm selling iron and let Mr. Zang continue to pay you!" Xiong Xiaoge was puzzled.
"It's not easy for everyone, I'm very satisfied." Fang Zhuo sat on the sofa and casually changed the TV channels in the hotel.
Xiong Xiaoge sat down and joked: "I rarely see Mr. Fang with a TV on in front of him. What's more, there are no documents on the table today, and there is no tea or coffee. It's actually a cup of Coke. What's wrong with you?
?”
"Don't you see? I'm giving my emotions a holiday." Fang Zhuo said lazily, "Give my emotions a holiday, and then..."
Xiong Xiaoge didn't wait for the next step and asked: "What next?"
Fang Zhuo lazily turned off the TV, stood up and threw the Coke into the trash can.
Seeing him like this, Xiong Xiaoge laughed and said, "No way? The vacation is over so soon? What happens next?"
"What can we do from now on? Keep making progress." Fang Zhuo took two steps and dropped the document. "If you have time, tell me about your reverse acquisition of IDG Group. If you don't have time, then I'll look at the domestic ones."
Work report."
"When you are free, you are free." Xiong Xiaoge said with a smile, "I have been working with Mr. Fang for a long time, and I have also been tainted by your company's culture. This is how I feel when I am close to Zhu Zhechi."
Those who are close to Zhu are red and keep making progress.
This chapter has been completed!