PPDS Finally Harmonizes Pro Display Efforts, Aligning US Business With Global Company

June 13, 2022 by Dave Haynes

When I was at InfoComm last week, I made a point of stopping by the PPDS exhibit to see the company’s latest pots and pans, but also get my head straight on a very involved announcement about the U.S. business.

I was told by a contact there that explaining the set-up of PPDS in the US and globally has long been one of those things where the person asking is encouraged to have a seat, because the story gets long and complicated. I did have a seat and it was, indeed, a tale with numerous turns.

PPDS is the pro display division of the Taiwanese firm TPV. The Dutch consumer goods company Philips had divested the commercial display business in 2008 – with separate owners in Europe and Asia taking than the U.S., where Philips was under Funai and later Envision Peripherals.

So the U.S. business operated differently from the rest of PPDS in marketing Philips displays – because of the legacy deals and ownership. But now the U.S. business is aligned with the global business and the U.S. folks report up to global execs.

The U.S. business has become, says the PR, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the TPV Group, “as the company enters a new, accelerated hypergrowth phase in North America.”

This highly strategic development fully aligns the business with PPDS’ wider global operations, unlocking immeasurable benefits and opportunities for its partners and customers. This includes adding more choice and value to the market, while offering unrivalled partner support, facilitating projects on both a local and global scale across industries including Corporate, Education, Healthcare, Hospitality, Retail and Transportation.

Operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of TPV, the world’s largest manufacturer of LCD displays, the transfer of activities from EPI (effective from May 1), means PPDS US will now utilize the full manufacturing strengths and resources enjoyed by teams across PPDS’ other international markets, including priority access to core components and materials for manufacturing continuity, and end-to-end supply chain systems enabling full control and monitoring of logistics streams.

With this latest development in its global growth program, PPDS has set an ambitious target to achieve a top three market position in North America, cementing its position as one of the world’s fastest growing enablers of professional display solutions.

Franck Racapé, Head of Global Commercial at PPDS commented: “As part of the company’s long-term plan to exponentially expand Philips professional display sales on a global level, our growth in the North American market is a milestone in our success. Our current business dynamic in North America is very promising and we look forward to further accelerating the trend, offering total display solutions for customers in all sectors, and positioning Philips professional displays as we believe they should be.”

In preparation for this latest evolution of the US business, PPDS has made a number of significant structural changes over the past 12 months. These include a major company rebrand in February (2021), switching to PPDS – previously Philips Professional Display Solutions. More than just a new name, PPDS represents the transition of the business from a provider of displays to a total solutions enabler, forming strategic complimentary relationships with key third party partners, both locally and globally, including AppSpace, Crestron, D-Tools, Logitech, Intel, Navori, and Skykit, to name just a few, adding more solutions, choice and value to the channel and the wider market.

The U.S. business is now run by display industry vet Vince Schuster, who was appointed in last fall as the VP Professional Displays.

PPDS/Philips was a bit player in the U.S. pro display market for a buncha years, but has been really coming on lately – maybe not worrying Samsung and LG just yet, but certainly competing with Sony and Sharp/NEC, and likely getting ahead of Panasonic. The latter’s focus at InfoComm last week seemed more on technology like projection.

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