Case study of Japanese Facsimile Industry

The Incontestable Japanese Leadership

How did Japanese firms come to dominate the facsimile industry

The Incontestable Japanese Leadership

In capturing the top by the bo1om

• Facsimile is a major mean of communica=on in Japan, that created incen=ves to innova=ons • Japanese firms invested aggressively and early in new technologies • They targeted the mid sizes corporate customers, which is numerous and flexible, and somehow neglected by U.S firms. • They are also very quick to adopt the new G3 and G4 standards to capture and change the market. • Major U.S. producers, such as Xerox, Siemens, Burroughs..., being late in the tech race, eventually sourcing fax machines from Japanese firms or exit the market.

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The Incontestable Japanese Leadership

In staying on top of the giants Japanese firms created smaller machines to capture the small business

and personal market.

• They also invest heavily in technology and R&D such as automa=ons and new models to gain an edge over compe=tors • They manufacture their own important parts such as microprocessors and printers, to create dis=nc=on and also to ensure quality • Japanese firms established clusters of specialized producers to