marketplace
has been traditionally broken down as follows: US-45%, Europe-25%,
Asia-20%, with 10% rest of the world (ROW). However, the recent strong
growth in Asia makes a ratio of 40-20-30, with 10% ROW, more realistic.
Regardless of the precise numbers, any business located in the US, Europe, or
Asia declining to engage in foreign business excludes itself from between 60-
80% of the world photonics market.
With practically all photonics companies having a web site, it has become
much easier to sell in foreign markets. Managing your site such that it can be
found on the web in those areas that are really important for the business is
one of the easiest ways to generate sales "overseas," by which I mean
across national borders. So when market share numbers indicate an
absolute need for doing business internationally, why do many photonics
companies choose to restrict themselves to their domestic market
and limit foreign sales to their web sites?
Reasons may include the difficulty in managing and financing such
an operation; perceived loss of control; currency risks; expense of doing