三星大举反攻硅谷

    去年12月，麻省理工大学科技评论（MIT Technology Review）的一篇文章称，硅谷三星电子（Samsung Electronics）新任首席策略官孙英权在家中使用的是苹果的产品。这篇名为《硅谷的三星人为什么用苹果产品？》（Why Samsung's Man in Silicon Vally Uses Apple Devices）的文章成为了媒体界热议的话题，也为这家突飞猛进的韩国电子产品制造商带来了很多负面的关注。这一动乱同样反映了目前三星所关注的核心问题之一：如何在苹果的后院立足。换句话来说，如果连三星高层都“粘”上了苹果产品，那普通消费者就更是难以自拔。

    首先，孙英权已经不再是苹果（Apple）用户。本周早些时候，在加州门洛帕克举行的新闻发布会上，孙英权说他只用三星的产品，而且在公司和家里都是如此。不得不说他还是有一些幽默感的——这位新的三星高管通过展示他的三星手机揭开了发布会的序幕，并藉此证明他已皈依三星旗下。孙英权还宣布将设立1亿美元的创投基金，主要用于投资相关零部件和附属系统。三星催化剂基金（Samsung Catalyst Fund）将致力于投资处于发展初期的公司，而三星目前现有的10亿美元三星创投美洲基金（Samsung Ventures America Fund）则将目标瞄准了公司的后期投资。

    很明显，三星十分重视拓展自己在硅谷的影响力。12月，这家韩国公司宣布将在圣荷西修建一个110万平方英尺的研发中心，并在帕鲁奥托成立一个孵化器。本周，该公司还在门洛帕克设立了一个“策略和创新中心”（Strategy and Innovation Center），由孙英权负责。

    孙英权在周一的发布会上对媒体表示：“我们必须进军全球热点区域。”他还说，尽管韩国曾是三星唯一的创新中心，但超过半数的三星雇员目前都分布在韩国本土总部之外的地区。孙英权在同一天举行的另一个发布会上说：“这个机会让我们感到十分兴奋，因为我们可以藉此接触企业家和创新者，让他们有能力利用三星的技术和全球品牌影响力，从而将我们的共同愿景带到市场。”

    三星目前已经贵为世界上最大的手机制造商，最近更是捷报频传。它的Galaxy系列智能手机在美国国内和国外获得了巨大的成功，而且三星成功地通过一系列备受关注的广告对苹果进行讽刺，包括最近在超级碗（Super Bowl）赛事期间播出的广告。但是，孙英权并不是唯一的一个正在或曾经使用过一个或多个苹果产品的硅谷业内人士。本周举行的发布会上，孙英权面对满屋的科技媒体曾经询问是否有人用过三星手机，结果没有人举手。

    孙英权应该受到表扬，而不是被边缘化，因为他公开讨论了三星试图解决的问题。苹果的产品粘性十足，牢牢吸引着iPhone属地（也就是旧金山湾区）的消费者，因此让他们转投其他品牌的怀抱并不容易。既然三星已在世界其他地区大获成功，那么三星为什么还要执着于硅谷的市场份额？很明显，因为这个区域对于技术影响者和创新者来说很重要。问问三星就知道——它在这里拓展其影响力绝对有它的理由。（财富中文网）

    译者：翔

    Last December, a piece in the MIT Technology Review revealed that Young Sohn, Samsung Electronics' new Silicon Valley-based chief strategy officer, uses Apple products at home. The article, titled "Why Samsung's Man in Silicon Valley Uses Apple Devices," made waves in the press and garnered a lot of unwanted attention for the surging Korean electronics manufacturer.

    The kerfuffle also illustrates one of Samsung's core concerns: how it can make itself a force in the heart of Apple country. In other words, if a top Samsung executive is hooked to the "sticky" nature of Apple products, how are ordinary consumers supposed to break free?

    For starters, Sohn is no longer an Apple (AAPL) user. At a press event in Menlo Park, Calif. early this week, he said he is now using Samsung products exclusively, at work and at home. You have to hand it to him for having a sense of humor--the newish Samsung exec opened the event by showing off his Samsung phone, proving he is now a convert. Sohn also announced a new $100 million venture fund that will focus on investing in components and subsystems. The Samsung Catalyst Fund will focus on early-stage companies, while its existing $1 billion Samsung Ventures America Fund is aimed at later-stage rounds of investment.

    It's clear Samsung is serious about expanding its footprint in Silicon Valley. In December the Korean company announced it is building a 1.1-million-square-foot R&D center in San Jose and an incubator in Palo Alto. This week it also unveiled a "Strategy and Innovation Center" in Menlo Park, which Sohn oversees.

    "We must reach out to global hotspots," Sohn told the press at Monday's event, adding that while Korea used to be the only hub of innovation, more than half of Samsung's employees are now located outside of its home base. "This is an exciting opportunity for us to engage with entrepreneurs and innovators and empower them to leverage Samsung's technology and global brand presence to bring our collective visions to market," Sohn said in a release issued the same day.

    Samsung, the world's largest cell phone manufacturer, has been on a winning streak of late. Its Galaxy line of smartphones are a huge hit both in and out of the United States, and it's managed to successfully taunt Apple with a series of viral ads, including this most recent commercial, which ran during the Super Bowl. But Sohn isn't the only Silicon Valley insider who is -- was -- a user of not one but several Apple devices. When Sohn asked the roomful of tech media at this week's event if anyone uses a Samsung phone, no one raised their hand.

    Sohn should be commended, not shunned, for openly talking about a problem Samsung is trying to address. Apple's products are sticky, and getting consumers in iPhone-land -- a.k.a. the Bay Area -- to make the switch isn't easy. Why should Samsung care about its market share in Silicon Valley if it's killing it in the rest of the world? Obviously, this region is important when it comes to tech influencers and innovators. Just ask Samsung--the company must be expanding its footprint here for a reason.