Philips plans to invest $ 50 million for the production of tablets in Manaus

Philips intends to invest more than $ 50 million to manufacture tablets in Brazil. The project was presented to the Manaus free zone Superintendence (Suframa). According to the documents, the company plans to hire 78 people to add the product to another line of production that keeps in the industrial pole. Sought, the Press Office of the manufacturer said the company would comment.
The Philips Web site it is possible to know that the company launched its first tablets in 2011. The product line, named "Philips Entertainment Tablet", is available only in China. In the past three years, 12 models were placed on the market.
The launch of handsets in Brazil happens at the moment the market presents an accelerated growth. According to research firm Nielsen, sales in the first half had a 400 percent jump in number of units compared with the same period in 2012. The average price of the equipment was r $ 550, nearly half of the $ 990 registered a year before. According to Nielsen, the launch of devices with small screens and most basic settings pulled down values. Another factor that contributed to the fall were tax incentives granted by the Government for equipment with production in the country.
The investment in the new product line also coincides with a time of transition for the manufacturer. In January, the company announced that it will let the consumer electronics market. The goal is to concentrate on the areas of health and well-being.
The electronic business will be taken over by Funai Japanese from 2017. Under the agreement, Funai will pay € 150 million and a licensing fee to sell Philips-branded products for an initial period of five and a half years, with an option of renewal for another five years. The expectation is that the operation to be completed by the end of the year.
The initiative is similar to that announced in April last year in the area of TV. The businesses were transferred to a joint venture with TPV Technology, Hong Kong. The new company, called TP Vision, has 70% share of the TPV and the remainder is from Philips. The TPV was responsible for the development, production and marketing of Philips devices. The TPV manufactures monitors for PCs and TVs for several companies and owns the trademarks and AOC Envision.