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HTC managers depart as revenues dwindle and First delayed in UK HTC managers depart as revenues dwindle and First delayed in UK
(4 months later)
Taiwanese phone manufacturer HTC has seen an exodus of top managers as the company struggles to stay profitable amid falling revenues. Key figures including the chief product officer Kouji Koudera, Asian chief executive Lennard Hoornik, director of global communications Jason Gordon and five other senior staff have departed in recent months.Taiwanese phone manufacturer HTC has seen an exodus of top managers as the company struggles to stay profitable amid falling revenues. Key figures including the chief product officer Kouji Koudera, Asian chief executive Lennard Hoornik, director of global communications Jason Gordon and five other senior staff have departed in recent months.
In another blow to the company, Facebook has delayed the European launch of the HTC "First" - the first and so far only phone to incorporate its "Home" app which takes over the Android home screen - following disappointing sales in the US which saw it axed after only a few weeks on sale.In another blow to the company, Facebook has delayed the European launch of the HTC "First" - the first and so far only phone to incorporate its "Home" app which takes over the Android home screen - following disappointing sales in the US which saw it axed after only a few weeks on sale.
With HTC's monthly revenues for the first four months of 2013 at under two-thirds of that for the same period in 2012, and first-quarter operating profits down by 99%, the company is struggling to cope with the growing power of South Korean rival Samsung, which announced on Thursday that it has shipped 10m units of its new Galaxy S4 smartphone less than a month after its formal launch - substantially faster than the 50 days its predecessor, the S3, took to reach the same mark.With HTC's monthly revenues for the first four months of 2013 at under two-thirds of that for the same period in 2012, and first-quarter operating profits down by 99%, the company is struggling to cope with the growing power of South Korean rival Samsung, which announced on Thursday that it has shipped 10m units of its new Galaxy S4 smartphone less than a month after its formal launch - substantially faster than the 50 days its predecessor, the S3, took to reach the same mark.
Koudera's departure comes after HTC generally won plaudits from reviewers for the design of its HTC One flagship phone, which uses an aluminium case; many preferred it over the Galaxy S4. But the company has been unable to secure volume shipments in the way that Samsung - which owns its own production lines for screens and memory - does.Koudera's departure comes after HTC generally won plaudits from reviewers for the design of its HTC One flagship phone, which uses an aluminium case; many preferred it over the Galaxy S4. But the company has been unable to secure volume shipments in the way that Samsung - which owns its own production lines for screens and memory - does.
The mood inside HTC appears to be darkening, though. As first pointed out by The Verge, Eric Lin, formerly HTC's product strategy manager for two and a half years who quit the company in February to join Skype, suggested in a tweet "to all my friends still at HTC - just quit. Leave now. It's tough to do, but you'll be so much happier, I swear." Lin clarified that he actually uses the HTC First, and that "I think HTC makes great phones".The mood inside HTC appears to be darkening, though. As first pointed out by The Verge, Eric Lin, formerly HTC's product strategy manager for two and a half years who quit the company in February to join Skype, suggested in a tweet "to all my friends still at HTC - just quit. Leave now. It's tough to do, but you'll be so much happier, I swear." Lin clarified that he actually uses the HTC First, and that "I think HTC makes great phones".
The next day he added "My heart goes out to the huge number of current and ex-HTC-ers who reached out to me today. I love you all." He suggested that "I don't miss the place, only the people" - perhaps implying that he disagreed with higher managers.The next day he added "My heart goes out to the huge number of current and ex-HTC-ers who reached out to me today. I love you all." He suggested that "I don't miss the place, only the people" - perhaps implying that he disagreed with higher managers.
The Wall Street Journal quoted an unnamed HTC executive saying that the company had sold around five million of the One smartphone since its launch a month ago. As with Samsung's figure, those would have been shipped to carriers and wholesalers rather than necessarily being in the hands of users. The executive told the WSJ that orders "are still more than what we can supply".The Wall Street Journal quoted an unnamed HTC executive saying that the company had sold around five million of the One smartphone since its launch a month ago. As with Samsung's figure, those would have been shipped to carriers and wholesalers rather than necessarily being in the hands of users. The executive told the WSJ that orders "are still more than what we can supply".
Other recent departures from HTC include:
• Rebecca Rowland, global retail marketing manager, to Microsoft;
• Phil Roberson, UK and Ireland regional director
• Mike Coombes, UK and Ireland head of sales
• Florian Seiche, chief of Europe, Middle East and Africa
• John Starkweather, manager and worldwide director of digital marketing, joined AT&T		Other recent departures from HTC include:
• Rebecca Rowland, global retail marketing manager, to Microsoft;
• Phil Roberson, UK and Ireland regional director
• Mike Coombes, UK and Ireland head of sales
• Florian Seiche, chief of Europe, Middle East and Africa
• John Starkweather, manager and worldwide director of digital marketing, joined AT&T
Meanwhile the HTC First, which was pulled off the market by the biggest carrier, AT&T, in the US after just over a month following what are believed to have been disappointing sales - which are expected to leave HTC with excess inventory - will not go on sale in the UK as scheduled this month.Meanwhile the HTC First, which was pulled off the market by the biggest carrier, AT&T, in the US after just over a month following what are believed to have been disappointing sales - which are expected to leave HTC with excess inventory - will not go on sale in the UK as scheduled this month.
In a statement, Facebook said: "We've listened to feedback from users on their experience using Home. While many people love it, we've heard a lot of great feedback about how to make Home substantially better. As a result we're focusing the next few months on adding customisation features that address the feedback we received. While we focus on making Home better, we are going to limit supporting new devices and think it makes a lot of sense for EE and Orange to hold off deploying the HTC First in Europe."In a statement, Facebook said: "We've listened to feedback from users on their experience using Home. While many people love it, we've heard a lot of great feedback about how to make Home substantially better. As a result we're focusing the next few months on adding customisation features that address the feedback we received. While we focus on making Home better, we are going to limit supporting new devices and think it makes a lot of sense for EE and Orange to hold off deploying the HTC First in Europe."
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