Thai Samsung Electronics Co, the local operating arm of the South Korean tech giant, is turning its focus to rugged devices, particularly for corporate users, in line with the prevailing trend of mobile work.
The global rugged device market is in growth mode, with global revenue forecast to hit US$5.64 billion in 2021, up from an estimated $5.42 billion this year. In Thailand, revenue in the rugged device segment is projected to reach $73 million in 2021.
"The pandemic is driving organisations of all sizes and in all industries to adapt quickly to changes in the business landscape by adopting new business models that help them reduce losses," said Marrut Manistitya, director for IT and mobile communications B2B group of Thai Samsung Electronics.
"They need to address their own specific needs, such as more versatile and efficient work environments driven by artificial intelligence and cloud-based technology."
According to Mr Marrut, there is a need to tailor solutions to serve the rising trend of rugged device usage by providing both tablets and smartphones for corporate users.
Samsung will work to ensure security with Samsung Knox and partner with other tech firms, such as Microsoft, Google and VMware, to increase the ecosystem for corporate users, he said.
"Mobility solutions with tailor-made features for specific needs are key to increasing competitiveness and sustainability," said Mr Marrut.
According to a Tech Research Asia report, 44% of corporates in Thailand are using rugged devices, while the figure is 50% in Australia, 55% in Singapore and 57% in Malaysia.
Mr Marrut said rugged devices are estimated to lead to a 35% increase in service productivity, a 25% rise in employee safety and a 40% reduction in device maintenance cost.
In 2021, Samsung plans to roll out rugged devices for both tablet and smartphone categories, ranging from 16,900 baht to 23,900 baht for corporate users.
He said rugged devices are usually 25% more expensive than normal items because they are designed to be durable in a harsh environment, including dust and water resistance as well as high temperatures.
Samsung makes rugged devices at more affordable prices, around one-third those of competitors, said Mr Marrut.
The company aims to double sales of rugged devices in 2021. Potential target businesses for rugged devices are those associated with warehouse and fleet management, telehealth, wellness centres, retail and manufacturing.
In 2020, Samsung's mobile device segment was in the leading position for enterprise users, with more than half of the market share.
The mobile device segment for enterprise consumers this year is expected to grow 42% from last year, crucially driven by nanofinance business. The business-to-business segment is estimated to account for 10% of Samsung's revenue this year, up from 5% last year.
