Fujitsu to Exit Display Market

Fujitsu General, makers of the Plasmavision and Aviamo lines of flat-panel TVs and monitors, will "discontinue participation in the visual display business at the end of March 2008."

Falling prices and diminished profitability in the flat-panel category were reasons cited by the company, which issued a brief press release on December 27, 2007.

The statement was released following a board meeting in which the company's board of directors decided to cease activity in the visual display market.

The Japan-based company says it has primarily marketed plasma products in North American and European markets.

"The focus of our marketing was high-end value added products, and our marketing direction was to concentrate on the custom A/V market specializing in advanced A/V systems and high-end custom installations in North America and the United Kingdom," wrote the company in a press release.

"During the past several years, the pricing and profitability of this segment has compressed beyond the point which our company could realize a satisfactory return on investment. We expect that this market situation will continue in the future."

Fujitsu has a strong presence in heating and ventilation categories and says it will increase its focuses in those areas.

This comes on the same day that Sony confirmed it would be ceasing production of rear projection TVs because of poor profits from the sets.