Households across Europe are full of expensive technology that
most people do not know how to control, according to a study released
today and commissioned by Logitech (NASDAQ:LOGI) (SWX:LOGN). It is
estimated that Europeans have at least EUR 362 billion worth of TVs,
HiFis, speakers, video and DVD players, digital recorders and
satellite boxes in their homes, with the true value probably being
several billions more. In spite of this, in 24 percent of European
households only one person knows how to control all the technology in
their home.
The Logitech study, undertaken by Lightspeed Research,
demonstrates the huge expense and complexity involved in acquiring and
making use of technology commonly found in the home. Most households
have spent thousands of Euros on home entertainment, yet the majority
of people in each household are unable to do simple tasks like
watching a DVD or recording a TV programme.
The source of the problem seems to be the sheer complexity of
technology in the home - 49 percent of households have five or more
remote controls and 87 percent have three or more. Yet one in four
Europeans have a very untechnical solution to the problem: written
instructions for their loved ones explaining how to control their
system (otherwise known as a cheat sheet).
Logitech´s answer to this problem is its range of Logitech(R)
Harmony(R) advanced universal remote controls. These have quickly
become the most popular brand of advanced universal remotes in the
U.S. marketplace, and a rapidly growing force in Europe, because of
the Harmony platform´s simple one-touch activity control. Users need
only to press a single button and the Harmony remote will control all
the technology devices necessary for them to watch TV, listen to music
or record a film. It is no surprise that the market for learnable and
pre-programmable remote controls has grown by 31 percent year on year
in value terms across the three biggest markets of France, Germany and
the UK, according to GfK. These remote controls, such as the Logitech
Harmony remote, are fast replacing all the remote controls cluttering
people´s coffee tables.
"We commissioned our study to establish the true gap between the
money Europeans are investing in technology in their home and their
ability to control that technology," said Gregor Bieler, vice
president of Logitech´s consumer electronics unit in Europe. "Today´s
home entertainment systems are getting increasingly expensive and
complex but people´s needs do not change - they just want their
technology to work. The growth we see in our Harmony business
demonstrates we have the perfect solution to this growing problem."
Logitech´s latest Harmony remote - the Harmony(R) One - marks a
significant leap in the evolution of the best-selling line. Offering
the same one-touch, activity-based control as other Harmony remotes,
the Harmony One makes controlling home entertainment even easier with
a full-colour touch screen, an intuitive button layout and an
exceptionally comfortable user-friendly design. The product received
the CES 2008 Design and Engineering Award: Best of Innovations in
Home-Entertainment Accessories at the beginning of the year.
The Harmony One is already available in Europe for a suggested
retail price of EUR 199.99. It is showcased at the Logitech CeBIT
booth in Hall 25, Stands H110 and J100.
About Logitech
Logitech is a world leader in personal peripherals, driving
innovation in PC navigation, Internet communications, digital music,
home-entertainment control, gaming and wireless devices. Founded in
1981, Logitech International is a Swiss public company traded on the
SWX Swiss Exchange (LOGN) and on the Nasdaq Global Select Market
(LOGI).
Logitech, the Logitech logo, and other Logitech marks are
registered in the United States and other countries. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners. For more
information about Logitech and its products, visit the company´s Web
site at www.logitech.com.
