Lexar, founded in 1996 in California, will make their full reentry and refocus into the Japanese media storage market, building on their long-standing reputation for quality and innovation. Their return comes after the 2017 purchase of Lexar by the Longsys group, based in China. To prepare for their expansion into Japan, Lexar General Manager of Asia Region, William Lu, stopped by System5 for an interview, to explain to us their philosophy and rationale for their expansion back into Japan.
Who is William Lu and Lexar?
Mr. William Lu has been working with Lexar primarily focusing on expanding the Asian market for Lexar. He speaks fluent Japanese along with English, and views Japan as a highly important market in the media industry.
Lexar, with over 28 years of experience as a leader in the memory card and data storage industries, already has a large market presence in important markets. Purchased by Longsys in 2017, Lexar is re-entering many markets it left post-merger, including Japan, looking to expand its presence globally.
The Competitive Edge of Lexar
“Lexar is known for its innovative approach and quality products. We introduced some cutting-edge products, including DDR5 memory and the fastest CFexpress cards. Our cooperation with top wafer suppliers ensures product quality and reliability. Moreover, our internal R&D capabilities, especially our self-developed controller chips and firmware, provide superior performance and cutting-edge solutions.” Lexar’s supply chain allows them to develop and test products internally, minimizing cost but also ensuring the suppliers are bringing in the best quality possible. They can also guarantee the speed readings listed on the memory card through their internal processes.
Lexar Re-Entering the Japanese Market
While the Japanese market for media storage is already pretty crowded, as one would imagine, Lexar sees a lot of potential here in Japan. The Japanese consumer for high-grade memory storage wants a product they can trust, even if it means spending a bit more. The word “trust” on its own right is of massive importance to Japanese culture. Lexar sees that as a challenge they want to meet.
“Japan is an important market with strong demand for high-quality storage solutions. We decided to re-enter this market because we saw an opportunity to offer our advanced and reliable products to Japanese consumers. With our strengthened supply chain and channel strategy, we are confident that we can meet the needs of this demanding market and establish a strong presence here,” says Mr. Lu.
Products of importance to the Japanese market
With such cameras as the Canon EOS R1 and the Nikon Z6III requiring reliable and fast-speed CFExpress Type B memory cards, the demand for these cards is even higher than before. Lexar will focus on selling their CFExpress Type B and solid-state memory drives here in Japan, forging partnerships at distributors like System5. In addition, Lexar’s much-vaunted SD cards will also be on sale here, especially for the consumer market.
The Japanese market is seen as a “strategic cornerstone” for Lexar. If they can sell well here in Japan, that can be seen by their investors and partners as proof they are able to sell high-end products well anywhere else.
“In Japan, we will focus on high-performance SSD and memory cards, especially 4.0 CFe cards, NM790 SSD, ARMOR series, and new product lines. These products are highly regarded around the world, and we believe they can meet the specific needs of Japanese consumers, from professionals to enthusiasts. Additionally, Lexar has very close relationships with Japanese camera manufacturers. Our products have received AVL certification, including collaborations with camera brands like Fujifilm, Canon, DJI, and others. These certifications ensure that our products meet rigorous quality and performance standards. Thanks to this partnership, Lexar’s products are recognized by these major manufacturers and recommended by their users. Such partnerships not only improve product reliability and market reputation, but also ensure that we provide the best storage solutions to our users.”
Expanding the user base
Here in Japan, gaming and content creators are a target audience in particular for their products. Content creators are users “who need high-performance and reliable storage solutions,” says Mr. Lu. Additionally, as one would suspect in Japan, the professional market is of high importance for Lexar, as they are “professionals who have extremely high demands on the quality of storage products,” adds Mr. Lu.
A Message from Lexar to Japan – and the world
“We are excited to re-enter the Japanese market and look forward to bringing you the best in storage technology,” concludes Mr. Lu. “Our commitment to quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction remains unchanged. We appreciate your support and are confident that Lexar products will exceed your expectations.”
Additionally, for our PRONEWS Global readers, Mr. Lu emphasized the North American market’s long history with Lexar, and how, since the company was founded in 1996, has made a name for itself in the United States for their reliability. Lexar’s goals for the future are to continue developing products with feedback from the consumers in mind, ensuring that features asked for are tested and considered for future solutions.
