Eastman Kodak sees Asian demand on the rise

THE STAR: Eastman Kodak Co. expects the greater Asia region, excluding Japan, to contribute 25 percent of its total digital portfolio revenue for the year ending December 2005, buoyed by rising demand from markets such as China and India

"Last year, this region contributed about 17 percent of the total digital portfolio revenue. Penetration level is still considered low. For example in Malaysia, less than 15 percent of the households own a digital camera," said a Kodak representative. "By the end of this year, this should grow to at least 25 percent. With demand increasing for camera phones, imagine the volume of picture-taking advancing. We'll have an explosion in this market."