BACKGROUND
Originally founded in 1880 by George Eastman, the Eastman Kodak company now stands as a leader in the infoimaging industry. Infoimaging is a $385 billion industry that consists of using traditional and digital film to allow people to capture and deliver images through cameras, computers, and the media. Currently under the direction of Chairman and CEO Daniel A. Carp, Eastman Kodak is divided into three major areas of production.
1. Kodak's Digital and Film Imaging Systems section produces digital and traditional film cameras for consumers, professional photographers, and the entertainment industry. This segment accounts for 69% of revenues earned by Kodak in 2003.
2. Health Imaging caters to the health care market by creating health imaging products such as medical films, chemicals, and processing equipment. Health Imaging also places emphasis on radiology for dental, mammography, and oncology markets. Health Imaging accounts for 18% of revenues earned by Kodak in 2003.
3. The Commercial Imaging group produces aerial, industrial, graphic, and micrographic films, inkjet printers, scanners, and digital printing equipment to target commercial and industrial printing, banking, and insurance markets. Commercial Imaging accounts for 12% of revenues earned in 2003.
Since the formation of Kodak, the company has remained the world's leading film provider with virtually no competitors. That is until the arrival of Fuji Photo Film, which now surpasses Kodak in earnings per share and is viewed as the industries number two.
OBSTACLE
While Eastman Kodak has remained an industry leader in the sales of film for